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.
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Maple
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Plaster, Cherry, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Iron
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Copper
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1950s Mexican Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1990s American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Paint
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Plaster
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Silver Leaf
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Wrought Iron
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
2010s Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
1810s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Burl
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Aluminum
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Metal
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry