Neoclassical Decorative Objects
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.
Mid-20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Paint
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Lacquer, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Lacquer, Wood
Late 20th Century Mexican Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Malachite, Spelter
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Walnut
Early 1800s French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
17th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Lapis Lazuli, Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze, Metal
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Alabaster
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1890s American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Bronze
Late 18th Century Polish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1840s British Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Terracotta
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Earthenware
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porphyry
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Terracotta
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Composition
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1840s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1870s Danish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Onyx, Bronze
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
20th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver