Neoclassical Candlesticks
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.
20th Century Neoclassical Candlesticks
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Ceramic
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s English Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Candlesticks
Brass
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Pewter
20th Century English Neoclassical Candlesticks
Ceramic, Stoneware
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Wood
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Silver Plate
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
1970s British Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Metal, Silver Plate
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Candlesticks
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Fabric, Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Wood
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Iron
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Ceramic, Pottery
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Candlesticks
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Silver Leaf
1950s Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Glass
20th Century English Neoclassical Candlesticks
Stoneware
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Bronze, Brass, Copper
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Neoclassical Candlesticks
Ceramic, Stoneware
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Candlesticks
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Candlesticks
Porcelain
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
1970s European Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Brass
1910s English Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Candlesticks
Crystal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Candlesticks
Pewter
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Candlesticks
Silver
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Candlesticks
Hardwood
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Candlesticks
Metal
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Cut Glass
1810s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Silver
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candlesticks
Porcelain
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Candlesticks
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Candlesticks
Bronze