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.
16th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Nickel
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Lead
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Iron
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Concrete, Travertine, Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Rosewood, Fruitwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Abalone
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Rosewood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Maple, Oak, Lacquer
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood, Pine
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Laminate, Wood
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Chrome
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood, Satinwood, Walnut
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Maple, Oak
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Stone
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Other, Iron
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut





