Neoclassical Candle Lamps
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.
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Bronze
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Crystal
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Brass
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Metal
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Brass
20th Century North American Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Belgian Black Marble, Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Indian Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Silver
1810s European Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Other
1990s American Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Bronze
2010s Mexican Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Glass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Iron
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s English Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Silver Plate
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Iron
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Brass
1990s American Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Brass, Tôle
20th Century English Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Alabaster, Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Candle Lamps
Silver Plate