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 Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Nickel
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Onyx, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Textile
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1880s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
1970s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Late 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Rock Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Zinc
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Kingwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Marble
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Textile, Fruitwood, Paint
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1950s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Cement
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
1990s European Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass





