Neoclassical Lighting
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.
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Metal
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Mirror, Beech, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Iron
1930s European Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze, Cut Steel
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Lighting
Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
2010s Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Lighting
Nickel, Bronze, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze
1940s English Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Gold Plate, Bronze
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Fabric, Fruitwood
1990s Philippine Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1880s English Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Scagliola
Early 20th Century Scottish Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Sterling Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Marble
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1790s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Lighting
Carrara Marble, Metal, Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Ormolu
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Lighting
Faience
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Metal
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
Early 1900s English Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze