Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
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.
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Metal, Wrought Iron
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Cherry
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Iron
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Hardwood, Paint
1870s American Antique Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Rush, Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Iron
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Steel
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
20th Century English Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron, Iron
1970s Brazilian Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Steel
1940s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Teak
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Hickory
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Iron
1850s Antique Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Oak
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Leather, Birdseye Maple
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Maple, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Rocking Chairs
Maple, Paint