Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
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.
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Paint, Fabric
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Metal
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Wood, Upholstery
1960s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Iron
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Velvet, Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
Early 1900s Antique Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Down, Feathers
Mid-20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Fabric
1870s French Antique Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Paint
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Wicker
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Brass, Steel
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Abalone, Upholstery, Cherry, Mahogany
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Cane, Fruitwood
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1880s American Antique Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
20th Century Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Slipper Chairs
Suede, Mahogany