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 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 1800s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sheffield Plate
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary English Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Coade Stone, Paint
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Pine
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Rock Crystal, Ormolu
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Linen, Upholstery
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
1950s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Beech
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sheffield Plate
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Parchment Paper
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sheffield Plate
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Earthenware, Creamware
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Steel
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Copper
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1940s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay
1810s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1910s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
1810s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver





