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 French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Murano Glass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware, Pearlware
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Iron, Tin, Gold Leaf
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Copper
Late 18th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Oak, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Breccia Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Siena Marble
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Paint
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Gold, Brass
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Gold Leaf





