Neoclassical Fountains
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.
2010s European Neoclassical Fountains
Limestone
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble, Pewter
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Fountains
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Stone
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Stone, Limestone
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Fountains
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
1940s English Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Lead
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Fountains
Concrete
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Copper, Lead
1860s American Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Enamel, Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Fountains
Lead
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Carrara Marble
1950s European Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Concrete
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Iron
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble