Neoclassical Architectural Elements
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.
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Terracotta
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Stone
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Ormolu, Bronze
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Clay
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Giltwood
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Wrought Iron
Mid-18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Statuary Marble
20th Century European Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Gesso, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Giltwood
Early 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Stone, Marble, Statuary Marble
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Oak
Mid-18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble, Statuary Marble
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble
2010s Chinese Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Gold Plate
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Faience
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Copper, Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Tôle, Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Alabaster
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Reed, Bamboo
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble, Statuary Marble
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Pine
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze, Iron
Mid-18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble, Siena Marble, Statuary Marble
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Cement
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Paint
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Terracotta
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Carrara Marble, Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Pine
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Ormolu
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble, Siena Marble, Statuary Marble
20th Century European Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Iron
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Wood
Late 18th Century Irish Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Statuary Marble, Marble
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Pine
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Siena Marble, Statuary Marble
Early 1800s British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble, Siena Marble, Statuary Marble
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble
1790s British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble, Siena Marble, Statuary Marble
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Architectural Elements
Marble, Siena Marble, Statuary Marble





