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 American Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century British Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Blown Glass
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Brass
20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
17th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Canadian Neoclassical Furniture
Steel
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica, Pottery
Late 19th Century North American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1910s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mohair, Mahogany
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1790s German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Copper, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Milk Glass
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Nickel
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Cane, Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pearlware
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver, Bronze
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Hardwood, Giltwood, Paint
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Copper
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Mid-20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
20th Century Danish Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1780s British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Art Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron





