Neoclassical Soup Tureens
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.
20th Century European Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Glass
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Creamware
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Ironstone
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Pearlware, Pottery
Early 1800s English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Sterling Silver
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Silver
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Silver
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain, Paint
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Silver
18th Century Chinese Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Ceramic, Terracotta
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Metal
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Ceramic
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
19th Century Chinese Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Ceramic, Pottery
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Pearlware, Pottery
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Pottery
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Earthenware
1960s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
1960s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Silver
1890s Danish Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
1990s Danish Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Porcelain
20th Century Danish Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Soup Tureens
Earthenware