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.
Philibert-Benoît de La Rue France, 18th century Sanguine on paper
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
An important mounted battle scene, depicted with particularly expressive energy: cavalry in full frontal clash, overturned horses, and combatants intertwined in the foreground, in ...
Paper
$440Sale Price|20% Off
18 Century Engraving of the Royal Menagerie at Versailles by Antoine Aveline
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A rare 18 century perspective view engraving of the Salon de la Menagerie at Versailles, attributed to Antoine Aveline retailed in Paris by Nicolas Langlois and executed with the per...
Paper
$360Sale Price / set|20% Off
Three 18th Century Engravings of Fountains at Versailles Gardens by A. Aveline
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
Three small 18th century engravings of fountains at the gardens of Versailles by renowned Parisian engraver Antoine Aveline. All three are pr...
Paper
French Engraving, "Le Premier Pas a la Fortune" in Gilded Frame
Located in Pembroke, MA
French engraving in a 19th century entitled "Le Premier Pas A La Fortune" on hand-laid paper with a decorative giltwood frame. A charming double-entendre scene of seduction. Du Bois ...
Giltwood, Paper
$4,283Sale Price|20% Off
France 18th Century Wallpaper with Landscape Scenes in Turquoise Color
Located in Brescia, IT
It is not easy to find this kind of hand drawed and hand-made French wallpaper in good conditions. The shining turquoise and the scenes of the games of the characters and jugglers i...
Paper
Detailed 18th Century Style Framed Pastel Bouquet Drawing
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Detailed 18th century style framed pastel bouquet drawing. Intricate burl wood and ebonized wood period frame. Very decorative.
Canvas, Wood
Pair of French 18th Century Old Master Style Drawings in Trompe l'Oeil
Located in Essex, MA
Pair of French School drawings in 18th century style. Hand drawn in Old Master Technique. Boucher School style Pair of Trompe l'Oeil Three-drop Panel...
Paper
Detailed 18th Century Style Framed Pastel Bouquet Drawing
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Detailed 18th century style framed pastel bouquet drawing. Intricate burl wood and ebonized wood period frame. Very decorative.
Canvas
Detailed 18th Century Style Framed Pastel Bouquet Drawing
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Detailed 18th century style framed pastel bouquet drawing. Intricate burlwood and ebonized wood period frame. Very decorative.
Cane
Detailed 18th Century Style Framed Pastel Bouquet Drawing
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Detailed 18th century style framed pastel bouquet drawing. Intricate burl wood and ebonized wood period frame. Very decorative.
Canvas
Detailed 18th Century Style Framed Pastel Bouquet Drawing
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Detailed 18th century style framed pastel bouquet drawing. Intricate burlwood and ebonized wood period frame. Very decorative.
Cane
Unavailable|$248 / item
H 27 in W 180 in D 2 in
Deliciosa Designer Wallpaper in Powder 'Blues, Turquoise and White'
By Aimee Wilder
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Want summer all year round? This monstera deliciosa leaf pattern brings the jungle into your home! Samples are available for $18 including US shipping, please message us to purchas...
Paper, Paint
$2,617
H 22.05 in W 29.93 in D 0.99 in
Japanese Black and White Paper Print of Antique 18th Century Screen
Located in Brescia, IT
Early 20th century pair of Japanese black and white paper prints of drawings of 18th Century Japanese screens. This is one piece of the ...
Paper
$1,763Sale Price|35% Off
H 24.02 in W 0.02 in D 0.04 in
19th Century French Hand Painted Wallpaper Frieze Second Empire Era
Located in Sofia, BG
19th century roll of wallpaper frieze in trompe-l'oeil ribbon on an 8-way roll. About 61 m/0.05 cm. useful. Second Empire era, polychrome printing. ...
Paper
$2,300
H 24.5 in W 46 in D 1.5 in
18th Century French Aubusson Gouache Cartoon of a Courting Scene in Gilt Frame
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a living room wall or study with this elegant and colorful 18th-century Aubusson gouache painting. Created in the renowned tapestry-making city of Aubusson, France circa 176...
Giltwood, Paper
Framed Surrealistic Drawing by Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist: Pedro Friedeberg (Mexican, 1936-) Title:Le Tombeau D'Hemingway Year: 1963 Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper: Size: 14 3/4 x 19 1/2 plus 3 inch frame Mark: upper lef...
Paper
$11,065
H 30.91 in W 36.62 in D 1.97 in
Italian Landscape Oil on Canvas Early 18th Century Gold Frame Venetian School
Located in Prato, IT
Veneto, Italy, early 18th century Oil on canvas 20th century frame carved and gilded in pure gold Dimensions: cm W 93 x H 78,5 x D 5.
Canvas, Wood
Series of Engravings by Henry Moses Framed and Matted
Located in New York, NY
A set of six Neoclassical style framed prints by English artist Henry Moses, each featuring a finely detailed monochrome engraving an ancient Greek ceramic vase, inspired by famous 1...
Giltwood
Large Framed Lithograph by Tony Friedlaender
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large framed lithograph by Tony Friedlaender. Signed and numbered 44/95. Nicely framed over canvas.
Glass, Wood, Paper
Large Framed Lithograph by Tony Friedlaender
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large Framed Lithograph by Tony Friedlaender. Signed and numbered 44/95. Nicely framed over canvas.
Glass, Wood, Paper
Large Framed Lithograph by Tony Friedlaender
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large framed lithograph by Tony Friedlaender. Signed and numbered 44/95. Nicely framed over canvas.
Glass, Wood, Paper
$3,447
H 10.87 in W 8.86 in D 0.04 in
Rare 18th Century Erotic Scene Drawing, Attributed to Tobias Sergel
By Tobias Sergel
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
Rare 18th century Old master drawing of an explicit erotic scene of an couple having oral sex. Brown ink on paper with watermark, over pre-studies in black ch...
Paper
Framed 19th Century French Victorian Engraving Prints in Giltwood
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of French Victorian (19th Century) prints of engravings titled \"Vestale\" (a reference to Gaspare Spontini\'s 1807 opera \"La vestale\") and \"Euterpe\" (Greek mythology\'s mus...
Giltwood
Sold
H 0.5 in W 17.5 in L 0.5 in
Set of Six 18th Century Hand Colored Engravings of the Gardens at Versailles
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A rare set of six 18th century copper plate hand coloured Engravings of various features in the Garden of Versailles including the labyrinths, the water theatre and what was called t...
Paper
Sold
H 16 in W 20 in D 0.25 in
Set of Four 18 Century Copper Plate Colored Engravings of Versailles Gardens
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A set of four hand colored 18 century copper plate engravings showing views and optical perspectives of certain features of the gardens at Versailles l\aid on hand-made paper. On...
Paper
Set of 5 Hand-Colored Engravings by Duhamel de Monceau, 1768
By Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a fine set of 5 hand-colored engravings by the renown French botanist, Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau (1700-1782). The folios were taken from Duhamel du Monceau's Treatise on...
Paper
Watercolor Design for Snuff Box Cover, French, 18th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
The framed watercolor of oval snuff box with figural bust and putto depicted with in Rococo cartouche.
Paper
French 18th Century Pen & Ink with Gauche Landscape Drawing
Located in Hudson, NY
This drawing done in pen and ink with washes and gauche highlights is French and done circa 1760 during the reign of Louis XV. The landscape is a work done most likely as a preparato...
Wood, Paper
Rare Book-First Edition-Le Fete Marriage Le Dauphin
By Seymour de Ricci, Henri Cohen
Located in New Orleans, LA
Incredible Complete First Edition (1726-1746)of Two Books Bound Together with important Historical Engravings.They commemorate the two marriages of the Dauphin,son of Louis XV to Ma...
Paper