Neoclassical 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.
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
1990s American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Fabric, Glass, Hardwood, Paint
1980s Irish Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1950s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry, Walnut
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bone, Beech
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1990s Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
1970s English Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Oak
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
1810s European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Tables
Oak
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Beech
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Neoclassical Tables
Stone
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Beech
19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Metal