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.
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Earthenware
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
1770s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware, Pottery
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Steel
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Beech
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ironstone
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Copper, Iron
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1920s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Limestone
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Pine
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Siena Marble
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Maple, Walnut, Glass
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Iron
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster, Wood, Pine
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Composition, Metal, Steel
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gesso, Giltwood
Early 1800s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Rush, Oak
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stone





