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.
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Fountains
Bronze
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Bronze
2010s European Neoclassical Fountains
Limestone
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Stone, Limestone
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Stone
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Fountains
Limestone
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Limestone
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Chestnut, Faience
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Fountains
Stone, Limestone, Metal, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Stone, Limestone, Metal, Iron
Early 19th Century Portuguese Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Iron
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Limestone
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Sandstone
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Bronze
1950s European Vintage Neoclassical Fountains
Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Iron
1840s French Antique Neoclassical Fountains
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Fountains
Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fountains
Marble