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.
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
1970s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Enamel
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1840s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Persian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1890s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Nickel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood, Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Spelter
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porphyry
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Maiolica, Giltwood, Canvas
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Russian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Malachite
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Acrylic, Mirror





