Neoclassical Torchères
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.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Iron
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Sterling Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Silver Plate, Copper
20th Century English Neoclassical Torchères
Hardwood
18th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Marble, Metal, Ormolu
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Wood, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Giltwood
Early 1800s European Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Wood
20th Century North American Neoclassical Torchères
Belgian Black Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
1760s Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Brass
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Sterling Silver
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Neoclassical Torchères
Statuary Marble
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Marble, Bronze
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Sterling Silver
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Neoclassical Torchères
Statuary Marble
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Torchères
Wrought Iron
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Torchères
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Hardwood
Late 18th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Beech
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Gesso, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Bronze
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Bronze
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Torchères
Giltwood