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.
17th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Tapestry
1790s Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Ceramic
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Upholstery, Walnut
1780s Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Breccia Marble
1780s French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Paint, Porcelain
18th Century and Earlier English Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Country Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Canvas
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Marble
18th Century and Earlier French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
1790s American Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Composition
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Gold Leaf, Tin
1790s French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Wood
1780s English George III Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Silver, Copper
Late 18th Century French Directoire Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Ormolu
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Mahogany
1790s Russian Directoire Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Marble, Ormolu
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Walnut
Early 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Mercury Glass, Gesso, Wood, Gouache
Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Wood
1790s French Louis XVI Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Mirror
1930s English Edwardian Vintage Neoclassical Period Collection
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Stoneware
19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Marble
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Neoclassical Period Collection
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century English Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Pottery
20th Century English Neoclassical Period Collection
Pottery
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
20th Century French Louis XVI Neoclassical Period Collection
Fabric, Walnut
Early 1900s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Baroque Revival Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Marble
17th Century Belgian Baroque Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Tapestry, Wool
19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Ceramic, Porcelain