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 American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Wood
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sycamore
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Foam
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
1880s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
20th Century British Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Travertine, Marble
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Elm
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Ormolu
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1870s Danish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Acrylic
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay
Early 2000s North American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1880s European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Teak
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Metal
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Other
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
1960s British Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze





