French Louis Xvi Secretary
Antique 1850s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Oak
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Walnut
Antique 1880s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Fruitwood, Wood
Antique 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1930s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Brass
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut, Leather
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Brass
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Vitrines
Kingwood, Satinwood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks
Kingwood, Rosewood, Satinwood
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Marble, Bronze
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Carrara Marble, Brass
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Walnut
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Nutwood
Early 20th Century French Secretaires
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Secretaires
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Marble
Antique 19th Century French Secretaires
Wood, Maple, Porcelain
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Marble, Bronze
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Marble, Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Vintage 1950s French Secretaires
Mahogany
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Rosewood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Walnut, Glass
Antique 1860s French Louis XVI Desks
Brass, Bronze
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Louis XVI Secretaires
Bronze
Antique 1860s French Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass, Bronze
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cherry, Fruitwood
Antique 19th Century French Secretaires
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Louis XVI Secretaires
Antique 1850s French Louis XVI Bookcases
Glass, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Vintage 1940s American Louis XVI Secretaires
Wood, Leather
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Desks
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis XVI Desks
Cane, Wood
Antique 1780s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Fruitwood, Maple, Walnut
Antique 1860s French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Antique 1790s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Walnut
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Brass
Vintage 1920s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Marble, Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Sideboards
Mahogany, Leather
Antique 1780s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Brass, Bronze
Vintage 1920s American Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Brass, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Leather, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Marble, Bronze
Antique Early 19th Century French Desks
Kingwood
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Mahogany
Antique 1890s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Oak
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Rosewood
Antique 1880s French Louis XVI Secretaires
Breccia Marble
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French Louis Xvi Secretary For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a French Louis Xvi Secretary?
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.
Finding the Right Secretaires for You
Your antique, new or vintage secretary desk has become the (chic) saving grace of the "new normal" at home.
Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments — pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers — are revealed.
Traditionally, a secretary is composed of two parts — a chest of drawers on the bottom and a cabinet with shelves on the top. Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.
While the defining drop-down feature of the secretary desk has remained constant, the materials used, as well as its configuration, size and style have evolved over time.
At first, secretaries were typically made from exotic woods, like rosewood, tulipwood and kingwood; later, hardwoods like cherry, maple, oak and mahogany were more common. The desks also became lighter, with space carved out of the lower half for the writer’s feet or with drawers replaced by legs — making them more table-like.
When open, the secretary is a dynamic, versatile Wunderkammer. When closed, it’s a sophisticated, space-saving piece of furniture.
“A fine secretary with a good provenance adds stature and credence to its owner — it is a cornerstone piece,” says antiques dealer Stanley Weiss, who specializes in 18th- and 19th-century English and American furniture. “In this disposable world, fine furniture is always passed on and speaks to who its owner is.”
No matter what style or period you choose, and no matter how you decide to use it, the timeless, flexible secretary desk is bound to become an indispensable part of your daily routine.
Browse a range of antique and vintage secretary desks on 1stDibs, including mid-century modern secretaires, Georgian secretaires and others.