Candlesticks Louis Seize
Antique 19th Century Austrian Gothic Revival Candle Holders
Brass
Vintage 1910s French Louis XVI Table Lamps
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XVI Wall Lights and Sconces
Crystal, Brass
Antique 1780s French Louis XVI Candelabras
Granite, Bronze
Antique 19th Century Austrian Gothic Revival Candle Holders
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Candlesticks
Silver
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21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Books
Paper
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Floor Lamps
Brass
Antique 19th Century French Gothic Revival Candelabras
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century European Louis XVI Wall Mirrors
Metal
Early 20th Century Italian Baroque Wall Lights and Sconces
Crystal, Iron
Vintage 1940s European Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Crystal
Antique Early 1900s French Candelabras
Brass
Early 20th Century European Gothic Revival Religious Items
Plaster, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Gothic Revival Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze
Vintage 1920s Italian Rococo Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Table Lamps
Marble, Ormolu
Antique Early 1900s French Candelabras
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Louis XV Wall Lights and Sconces
Iron
Antique Mid-18th Century Dutch Gothic Figurative Sculptures
Wood
1940s Modern Figurative Prints
Lithograph
Recent Sales
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Candlesticks
Bronze
Antique 1780s French Louis XVI Candlesticks
Bronze
Antique 1780s French Louis XVI Candlesticks
Marble, Bronze
Antique Late 18th Century Danish Louis XVI End Tables
Ceramic, Wood
A Close Look at Louis XVI Furniture
Reflecting the final era of royal opulence before the upheaval of the French Revolution, antique Louis XVI furniture features more angular shapes than the Rococo curves of the Louis XV style, harkening back to the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV.
Dating between 1750 and 1800, an era that overlapped with the last king of France whose reign was cut short by the guillotine, Louis XVI furniture, known as the goût grec, is emblematic of the neoclassical revision that French furniture underwent during the second half of the 18th century.
Authentic Louis XVI furniture characteristics include clean lines and carved details such as scrolls and acanthus flourishes that were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. This was informed by a burgeoning interest in antiquity in the 18th century, owing to new archaeological excavations at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It largely eclipsed the more East Asian–influenced ornamentation of Louis XV for something more geometric and symmetrical.
The Louis XVI style was defined by what was being created for the palatial rooms at Versailles and Fontainebleau, particularly for the queen, with cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener being a favorite of Marie-Antoinette’s for his luxurious pieces accented with gilded bronze and marquetry. Furniture maker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené was also a major designer of the period, with his pieces for the royal residences adorned with giltwood and neoclassical touches like tapered columns for chair legs and laurel leaf carvings. Cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler occasionally incorporated into his furniture porcelain panels produced by Sèvres, a popular manufacturer of European ceramics that served the crown with serveware, vases and other decorative objects.
Find a collection of antique Louis XVI seating, tables, cabinets and other furniture on 1stDibs.