Neoclassical Metal Armchairs
Antique Early 19th Century Russian Neoclassical Armchairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Armchairs
Metal, Bronze
Vintage 1980s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1980s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Bronze
Vintage 1950s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s Unknown Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Vintage 1940s French Neoclassical Armchairs
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Wrought Iron, Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Steel
2010s Portuguese American Classical Armchairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century American American Classical Patio and Garden Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Sofas
Brass, Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Armchairs
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American American Classical Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Loveseats
Gold Leaf
Vintage 1940s French Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1940s French Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1960s American American Classical Armchairs
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Armchairs
Metal
20th Century American American Classical Armchairs
Metal
2010s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Marble, Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
Antique 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Living Room Sets
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Marble, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century American American Classical Armchairs
Steel
2010s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Silver Leaf, Silver, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Marble, Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
20th Century European Neoclassical Armchairs
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Metal
Antique Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Antique Early 19th Century Baltic Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century Russian Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Antique 19th Century German Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold, Brass
2010s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1980s American Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass, Steel
Antique 1850s German Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Antique 1850s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Antique 1770s English Neoclassical Chairs
Other
Antique 1840s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Other
Antique 19th Century Russian Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Living Room Sets
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Silver Leaf
Vintage 1960s American American Classical Armchairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Classical Armchairs
Aluminum
Antique 1890s Swedish Neoclassical Armchairs
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Antique 19th Century American American Classical Office Chairs and Desk ...
Brass
Antique 1880s Swedish Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Armchairs
Bronze
Antique 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Silver Leaf
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Neoclassical Metal Armchairs For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Neoclassical Metal Armchairs?
A Close Look at Neoclassical Furniture
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.
Finding the Right Armchairs for You
Armchairs have run the gamut from prestige to ease and everything in between, and everyone has an antique or vintage armchair that they love.
Long before industrial mass production democratized seating, armchairs conveyed status and power.
In ancient Egypt, the commoners took stools, while in early Greece, ceremonial chairs of carved marble were designated for nobility. But the high-backed early thrones of yore, elevated and ornate, were merely grandiose iterations of today’s armchairs.
Modern-day armchairs, built with functionality and comfort in mind, are now central to tasks throughout your home. Formal dining armchairs support your guests at a table for a cheery feast, a good drafting chair with a deep seat is parked in front of an easel where you create art and, elsewhere, an ergonomic wonder of sorts positions you at the desk for your 9 to 5.
When placed under just the right lamp where you can lounge comfortably, both elbows resting on the padded supports on each side of you, an upholstered armchair — or a rattan armchair for your light-suffused sunroom — can be the sanctuary where you’ll read for hours.
If you’re in the mood for company, your velvet chesterfield armchair is a place to relax and be part of the conversation that swirls around you. Maybe the dialogue is about the beloved Papa Bear chair, a mid-century modern masterpiece from Danish carpenter and furniture maker Hans Wegner, and the wingback’s strong association with the concept of cozying up by the fireplace, which we can trace back to its origins in 1600s-era England, when the seat’s distinctive arm protrusions protected the sitter from the heat of the period’s large fireplaces.
If the fireside armchair chat involves spirited comparisons, your companions will likely probe the merits of antique and vintage armchairs such as Queen Anne armchairs, Victorian armchairs or even Louis XVI armchairs, as well as the pros and cons of restoration versus conservation.
Everyone seems to have a favorite armchair and most people will be all too willing to talk about their beloved design. Whether that’s the unique Favela chair by Brazilian sibling furniture designers Fernando and Humberto Campana, who repurposed everyday objects to provocative effect; or Marcel Breuer’s futuristic tubular metal Wassily lounge chair; the functionality-first LC series from Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret; or the Eames lounge chair of the mid-1950s created by Charles and Ray Eames, there is an iconic armchair for everyone and every purpose. Find yours on 1stDibs right now.