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 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Brass, Wire, Metal
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood, Satinwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1770s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1930s Finnish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Cherry
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1970s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet, Beech, Pine
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
1950s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1850s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century Portuguese Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
1960s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1790s Greek Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Agate, Ormolu
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pearlware, Pottery
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Granite
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass





