Neoclassical Tables
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.
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1930s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1990s American Neoclassical Tables
Burl
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry, Burl
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Onyx, Quartz, Travertine, Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary British Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1860s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood, Wood
2010s Belgian Neoclassical Tables
Stone
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1780s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Oak, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Amethyst, Enamel, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Stainless Steel
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Breccia Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Stainless Steel, Nickel, Bronze, Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Granite
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Burl
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Iron
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood





