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.
2010s Romanian Neoclassical Furniture
Other
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Nickel, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Nickel, Bronze, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Nickel, Bronze, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century British Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Onyx, Silver Leaf, Steel, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1990s Philippine Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Steel
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Onyx, Brass
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Metal
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Steel
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 1800s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
1940s European Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze