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 Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
1990s English Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Chrome, Iron
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Stoneware
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1930s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Limestone
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Blown Glass
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Copper, Iron
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Stained Glass, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Stoneware
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Canvas, Burl
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Mahogany
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century North American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1960s European Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
1960s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Granite, Marble
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze





