Louis XVI Lighting
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.
1990s American Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Iron
1960s American Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Brass
Early 1900s Italian Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary German Louis XVI Lighting
Brass
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze, Brass
1970s French Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
Late 20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Brass, Iron
1780s French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Carrara Marble, Gold Plate, Bronze
20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Italian Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
1910s French Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Iron
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Wood
20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
1940s Spanish Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Ormolu
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Iron, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century American Louis XVI Lighting
Ormolu
2010s Italian Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
1930s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Metal, Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Cut Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Carrara Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XVI Lighting
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1910s French Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
1830s French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Marble, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Lighting
Griotte Marble, Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Crystal, Iron
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Lighting
Iron