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.
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Stoneware
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay, Pottery
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1870s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silk, Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Milk Glass
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Ebony, Satinwood, Giltwood, Burl
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Pine, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Stained Glass, Wood
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Cherry
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
2010s Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paint
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Brass
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut, Giltwood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mohair, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Statuary Marble
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1910s Russian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Jade, Silver
1760s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron





