Neoclassical Furniture
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Neoclassical furniture took its cues from the styles of ancient Rome and Athens: symmetrical, ordered, dignified forms with such details as tapered and fluted chair and table legs, backrest finials and scrolled arms.
Over a period of some 20 years, first in France and later in Britain, neoclassical design — also known as Louis XVI, or Louis Seize — would supersede the lithe and curvaceous Rococo or Louis XV style.
The first half of the 18th century had seen a rebirth of interest in classical antiquity. The "Grand Tour" of Europe, codified as a part of the proper education of a patrician gentleman, included an extended visit to Rome. Some ventured further, to sketch the ruins of ancient Greece. These drawings and others — particularly those derived from the surprising and rich archaeological discoveries in the 1730s and ’40s at the sites of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum — caused great excitement among intellectuals and aesthetes alike.
Neoclassical furniture is meant to reflect both grace and power. The overall appearance of neoclassical chairs, tables and cabinetry is strong and rectilinear. These pieces are, in effect, classical architecture in miniature: chair and table legs are shaped like columns; cabinets are constructed with elements that mirror friezes and pediments.
Yet neoclassicism is enlivened by gilt and silver leaf, marquetry, and carved and applied ornamental motifs based on Greek and Roman sculpture: acanthus leaves, garlands, laurel wreaths, sheaves of arrow, medallions and chair splats are carved in the shapes of lyres and urns. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
As you can see from the furniture on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep neoclassicism fresh.
Find antique neoclassical furniture today on 1stDibs.
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Plaster
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Alabaster
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Steel
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Nickel, Bronze, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1920s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alpaca
1820s Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Other
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Iron
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Metal
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Danish Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1880s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1940s North American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary English Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1870s German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
1930s European Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Paint
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Cut Steel
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble