Neoclassical Side Chairs
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.
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Chairs
Rush, Maple
20th Century Neoclassical Side Chairs
Hide, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Cherry
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Mahogany
20th Century Neoclassical Side Chairs
Giltwood, Wood
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Side Chairs
Teak
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Cherry
1840s Danish Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Fabric, Beech
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Fruitwood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Birch
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Rosewood
20th Century Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Chestnut, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1820s Russian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Mahogany
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Giltwood
18th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Mahogany, Burl
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Fruitwood
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Paint
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Side Chairs
Iron
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Pine
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood, Wicker
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Steel
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Velvet, Wood, Lacquer
1920s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Brass
Early 2000s German Neoclassical Side Chairs
Reed, Hardwood
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Side Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Gold Leaf
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century Canadian Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Satinwood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Rush, Maple
20th Century French Neoclassical Side Chairs
Damask
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Chairs
Paint
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Cane, Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany, Oak
1970s North American Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Side Chairs
Walnut
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Maple
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Chairs
Faux Leather, Wood
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Side Chairs
Beech
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Chairs
Fabric, Maple
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Gesso, Rush, Ash, Paint
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Chairs
Plastic, Hardwood, Paint
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Side Chairs
Wood





