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.
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Wire
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1880s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Enamel
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Stainless Steel
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Plywood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pearlware, Pottery
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood
1890s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Murano Glass
1820s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
1940s Belgian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
2010s Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood





