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.
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Marble, Gold Leaf
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Sheffield Plate, Silver Plate
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Cotton, Linen, Acrylic, Polyester
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Ormolu, Tôle
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Plate
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone, Aluminum
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Walnut, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Taiwanese Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Opaline Glass
Early 20th Century Russian Neoclassical Furniture
Bone, Fabric, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
2010s British Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Leather
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze
1910s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze





