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 Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1990s English Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Resin
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Maple, Oak, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood
1990s French Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Stained Glass, Pine
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Canvas, Burl
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
2010s European Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Chrome, Iron
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1930s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet, Birch
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu, Bronze
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alpaca
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass





