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 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood, Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s British Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine, Paint
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Granite, Marble
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Other
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Ebony, Mahogany, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Travertine, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Brocade, Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 1900s Latvian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood
1930s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1790s German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Plaster
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1760s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut, Pine





