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.
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Rosewood, Walnut
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Mahogany
1990s American Organic Modern Neoclassical Period Collection
Steel
1980s American Organic Modern Vintage Neoclassical Period Collection
Steel
19th Century George III Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Mahogany
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Mahogany
19th Century English George III Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Other
19th Century Irish Georgian Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Mahogany
19th Century English George III Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical Period Collection
Goatskin
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical Period Collection
Elm
Late 20th Century English George III Neoclassical Period Collection
Mahogany
Early 20th Century North American George III Neoclassical Period Collection
Mahogany
18th Century English George III Antique Neoclassical Period Collection
Other
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