Neoclassical Period Collection
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. 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. As you can see from the furniture shown on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep Neoclassicism fresh.
Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver
Early 20th Century American Late Victorian Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver Plate
1840s English Gothic Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver Plate
1970s English Vintage Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver Plate
1810s English Regency Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Sheffield Plate
Early 1900s English Chinoiserie Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Late Victorian Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Neoclassical Period Collection
Copper
1830s English George IV Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Crystal, Sheffield Plate
1920s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver Plate
20th Century English Neoclassical Period Collection
Sheffield Plate
Late 19th Century English Baroque Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Copper, Silver, Silver Plate