Neoclassical Console 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.
1790s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Siena Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Console Tables
Mahogany, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Onyx, Steel, Silver Leaf, Stainless Steel
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Brass
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Ormolu
2010s French Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
2010s French Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Metallic Thread
1950s European Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Brass
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
20th Century French Neoclassical Console Tables
Iron
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Console Tables
Aluminum
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
Mirror, Wood, Lacquer, Paint
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Console Tables
Elm, Mahogany, Maple, Burl
1990s American Neoclassical Console Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Console Tables
Metal, Brass, Nickel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
18th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
Mahogany
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Mirror, Wood
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Giltwood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Console Tables
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Console Tables
Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Console Tables
Composition
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Sandstone
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Console Tables
Carrara Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Console Tables
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Console Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Console Tables
Brass