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.
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Nickel
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Steel
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Side Tables
Onyx, Ormolu, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Travertine
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Side Tables
Onyx, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Giltwood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany, Rosewood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Ormolu, Tôle
1990s French Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Nickel
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Giltwood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Maple
1870s American Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Ormolu
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Birch, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Steel
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Fruitwood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Brass, Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1950s Belgian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Onyx, Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Iron