Neoclassical Candelabras
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.
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Berlin Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candelabras
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Candelabras
Sterling Silver
Early 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Silver, Sterling Silver
1990s Italian Neoclassical Candelabras
Sterling Silver
1820s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Art Glass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candelabras
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Candelabras
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Candelabras
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Candelabras
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Candelabras
Metal, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze, Ormolu
1790s European Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candelabras
Glass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Agate, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Rock Crystal, Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Crystal, Marble, Rock Crystal, Ormolu
1870s Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze, Ormolu
18th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Griotte Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze, Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Candelabras
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Griotte Marble, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Siena Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Porphyry, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Siena Marble, Bronze
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Malachite, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Rock Crystal, Marble, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Silver, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candelabras
Ormolu