Neoclassical Tables
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 Tables
Wood, Pine
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Slate, Brass, Steel
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1990s Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Granite
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Giltwood
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Oak
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Stone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Rosewood
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1960s German Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1780s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Oak, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Oak
2010s North American Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Concrete
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Rosewood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Tables
Lacquer, Satinwood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
1860s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Limestone
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Porphyry
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Burl
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1890s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
1910s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Limestone
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Granite, Bronze, Nickel
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Other