Neoclassical Period Collection
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. 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. As you can see from the furniture shown on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep Neoclassicism fresh.
Late 18th Century Italian Country Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Canvas
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Early 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Period Collection
Brass, Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Aesthetic Movement Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Paint
18th Century Dutch Dutch Colonial Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Leather, Wood, Paint
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Metal, Gold Leaf
20th Century Neoclassical Period Collection
Wood, Paint
1990s American Neoclassical Period Collection
Canvas, Paint
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Neoclassical Period Collection
Satin, Wood
1960s Japanese Vintage Neoclassical Period Collection
Paint
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Glass, Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Canvas, Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Period Collection
Wood
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