Neoclassical Side 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.
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Oak
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut, Oak, Maple, Mahogany
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Plaster
Early 20th Century North American Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Amethyst, Enamel, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Hardwood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Bronze
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Griotte Marble, Marble, Gold Leaf
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble, Brass
1840s Russian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Gold Leaf
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Side Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Ormolu
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Giltwood
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze, Steel
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Iron
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Chrome
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Cherry, Ebony
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Cherry
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble, Ormolu
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood