Louis XV Wall Decorations
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Tapestry
1750s French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wool, Silk
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wool
Early 20th Century Spanish Louis XV Wall Decorations
Canvas
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Metal
Late 19th Century European Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Giltwood, Paper
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wool
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Giltwood
Early 1900s English Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Walnut
1850s English Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1920s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
1920s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Marble
1920s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Oak
19th Century Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Bronze
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wool
Early 17th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Canvas, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Wall Decorations
Glass, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Wall Decorations
Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paint
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Canvas
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paint
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Glass, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Textile
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Textile
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Early 1700s French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Crayon
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Canvas, Giltwood, Mirror
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wood, Giltwood
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paint
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Canvas
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Mirror, Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Giltwood
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
20th Century French Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 1900s English Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
1910s English Vintage Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Wall Decorations
Wrought Iron
1850s English Antique Louis XV Wall Decorations
Paper