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.
Pair Antique Neoclassical Style Corinthian Column Gilt Bronze Candle Holders
Located in New York, NY
Pair Neoclassical style Corinthian column form gilt bronze candle holders Late 19th- Early 20th Century Attractive, well detailed Corinthian column capitals with reeded column bodies...
Bronze
Wedgwood Jasperware Candlesticks, Neoclassical Blue & White, 1960
By Wedgewood
Located in Worcester Park, GB
A refined pair of Wedgwood jasperware candlesticks in the classic pale blue ground with crisp white applied reliefs. Each candlestick is decorated with neoclassical scenes—draped cla...
Ceramic
Vintage Neoclassical Style Dolphin Candlestick Molded Clear Glass
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This gorgeous hand-blown and molded art glass candleholder is a striking sculptural piece created in the style of Gusevsky Crystal, Russia. Rendered as an elegant figural dolphin, th...
Art Glass
Pair of Sterling Silver Neo-Classical-Style Column-Form Candlesticks
By Fordham & Faulkner
Located in New York, NY
Pair of sterling silver, Edwardian Period, Neoclassical-Style, column-form candlesticks, made in the city of Sheffield, England, year hallmarked for 1911, Fordham and Faulkner - make...
Sterling Silver
Pair of Victorian Period Sterling Silver Neoclassical-Style Column Candlesticks
Located in New York, NY
Lovely pair of Victorian Period, sterling silver, Neoclassical-style, column-form candlesticks, Sheffield, England, year hallmarked for 1889, James Kebberling Bembridge (of Hawkeswor...
Sterling Silver
Pair of Tall Sterling Silver Neoclassical-Style Candlesticks
By Whiting Manufacturing Company
Located in New York, NY
Pair of tall, sterling silver, Neoclassical candlesticks, produced by the Whiting Mfg. Co. (when it temporarily merged with the Gorham Mfg. Co. in the 1920's), Providence, Rhode Isla...
Sterling Silver
$1,875 / set
Pair of Bronze Cherub Figural Candle Sconces
Located in Germantown, MD
Pair of Bronze Cherub Figural Candle Sconces. Measure 7" in width x 4" in depth x 12" in height.
Bronze
German Giltwood Candle Chandelier, Neoclassical Design, Circa 1820
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
German 19th century giltwood chandelier for burning taper candles, untouched by the modern convenience of electricity as a delightfully analog source of light. This elegant design fr...
Metal
Pair of Italian .800 Silver & Agate or Hardstone Candlesticks
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine pair of vintage Italian silver & agate candlesticks. In .800 silver. Each with embossed silver floral bases supporting cylindrical, polished agate pedestals with engraved ca...
Agate, Silver
Tall Sterling Corinthian Column Candlesticks Sheffield, 1899 William Hutton
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Elegant Pair of Tall Sterling Silver Corinthian Column Candlesticks by William Hutton & Sons, Sheffield, 1899 An impressive pair of 9" tall sterling silver candlesticks...
Sterling Silver
Set of 4 English Georgian Neoclassical Pillar Candlesticks, 1779
By William Abdy II
Located in New York, NY
Set of 4 George III sterling silver candlesticks. Made by William Abdy in London in 1779. Each: Urn socket with detachable bobeche; tapering pillar on stepped and raised foot. Low re...
Sterling Silver
Orrefors Crystal Votive Candle Holder by Lars Hellsten, Sweden, 1970s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Orrefors Sweden Crystal by Lars Hellsten circa 1970s. The Swedish crystal bowl designed by sculptor Lars Hellsten for Orrefors, marked with needle-...
Crystal
Large Pair Venetian Gilt & Polychromed Tole Candle Sconces Italy, circa 1890s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Large Pair of Venetian Gilt & Polychromed Tole Candle Sconces Italy, circa 1890s 26" H x 15" W x 9" D This impressive pair of late 19th-century Venetian wall sconces exemplifies th...
Wrought Iron
$804Sale Price / set|41% Off
Pair of Italian Neoclassical Silvered Wooden Candlesticks, Circa 1750
Located in Buisson, FR
Great pair of wooden candleholders with their beautiful silver leaf gilding. Italy, circa 1750-1800. Weathered small losses and old repairs. Measurements are individual. H:39cm W:1...
Silver Leaf
Circa 1860 Pair of English Brass Push-Rod Candlesticks
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Circa 1860 pair of brass push-rod candlesticks, English. Inverted beehive design. Lack push-discs. Square, cut-corner bases. 9.75" x 3 5/8" sq. We are a family business that has bee...
Brass
Pair of French Bronze Candelabras, Neoclassical Design, 1920
Located in Barntrup, DE
Elegant early 20th-century French bronze candelabras with classical symmetry and refined patina. A refined pair of French bronze candelabras from the early 20th century, embodying t...
Bronze
Pr. Russian Ormolu & Bronze Lamps w/ Genies of Study & Philosophy, after Boizot
By Louis-Simon Boizot
Located in New York, NY
A Pair of Patinated Bronze and Ormolu Russian Lamps with the Genies of L'Étude and La Philosophie, After Models by Louis-Simon Boizot (French, 1743–1809) The pair is composed of pat...
Bronze
$685Sale Price|50% Off
Italian Neoclassical Gilded Wooden Candleholder, Circa 1780-1800
Located in Buisson, FR
Great wooden candleholder with its original gilding. Original period piece and rare to find. Italy, circa 1780-1800. Weathered and small losses. Measurements include the metal peak ...
Wood
$171Sale Price|30% Off
French Neolcassical Cast Bronze Boy w Torch Figural Candle Holder Statue 19"
Located in Dayton, OH
French Neoclassical cast bronze candlestick holder / candelabra featuring Art Nouveau styling with the figure of a young boy holding a torchiere above his head, on an ornate base. D...
Bronze
$1,066Sale Price / set|43% Off
Pair 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Giltwood Candleholders, Circa 1780-1800
Located in Buisson, FR
Great pair of wooden candleholders with their original gilding. Very nice type candleholder and rare to find in a pair. Italy, circa 1780-1800. Weathered, old repair Measurements inc...
Wood
Pair Of French Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Floral Seven-Light Candelabra
Located in Norwood, NJ
A fine pair of antique French Napoleon III gilt bronze seven-light candelabra, exquisitely cast in the form of abundant flowering lily bouquets. Rising from classical urns adorned wi...
Bronze
Set of (3) Antique 18th-Century Colonial Brass Candlesticks with Original Patina
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Set of (3) Antique 18th-Century Colonial Brass Candlesticks with Original Patina "Lets Dinner Party like it 1699" Original Condition / Ori...
Brass
Pair of Neoclassical Versace-style brass Medusa and lion head sconces
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Fabulous pair of Neoclassical candle sconces with Versace-style Medusa and lion heads. Cast iron in the manner of Gio Ponti and Tomaso Buzzi surrealist arrow motifs. Angled arms are ...
Brass
Pair 19th c Italian Neoclassic Urn-Carved Candelabras w/5 Candle Pricket Holders
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian pair of Neoclassical style five light candelabras from the 19th century. These antique candle holders from Italy are have gesso and silvered/gilt over a carved wood base i...
Iron
Pair of Italian Bronze Cherub Candleholders, mid-20th Century
Located in Turku, Finland
Elegant and beautifully detailed pair of Italian bronze candleholders depicting winged cherubs in dynamic, uplifting poses. Each figure stands gracefully on an ornate, sculptural bas...
Bronze
Pair of Neoclassical Sterling Silver Column candlesticks
Located in New York, NY
Pair of sterling silver, Neoclassical-Style, square based column candlesticks, American, Ca. 1930's. Each candlestick measures 7 1/8 inches high x 3 inches wide (at widest point acro...
Sterling Silver
Near Pair Neoclassical Balustrade Form Brass Candleholders with Square Bases
Located in New York, NY
This elegant near pair of Neoclassical candleholders, crafted in the United States, circa 1900. These showcase the timeless appeal of polished brass combined with classic design ele...
Brass
Pair of Roseville Zephir Lily Candle Stick Holders in Bermuda Blue, 1946
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Pair of Roseville Pottery ceramic candle stick holders in the Zephyr Lily pattern on blue background are marked with molded "Roseville U.S.A. 1163 4 ½" on the bottoms. Zephir Lily p...
Ceramic, Pottery
$62,612 / set
Napoleon III Period Onyx and Gilt Bronze Clock Set
Located in London, GB
The white onyx and gilt bronze three-piece set consists of a central clock, accompanied by two six-light candelabra. The three items were crafted in the 19th century, during the reig...
Onyx, Ormolu, Bronze
$1,080Sale Price|40% Off
Antique Neoclassical Duplex English Brass Corinthian Banquet Oil Lamp GWTW
Located in Dayton, OH
An exquisite antique English brass Duplex oil lamp, featuring a tall base in the shape of a Corinthian column festooned with cherub / satyr faces and l...
Brass
$7,450 / set
Pair of Antique French Mirrored Wall Sconces
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive pair of neoclassical 19th century French wall sconces crafted with a beveled mirrored backplate with reverse etched architectural designs and a perfectly aged oxidized fin...
Brass
Pair of Antique Giltwood Candlesticks with Paw Feet, Neoclassical Style
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A refined pair of antique giltwood candlesticks showcasing elegant Neoclassical influence. Each candlestick features a tall, tapered column rising from a triangular base supported by...
Giltwood
$1,161Sale Price / set|45% Off
Couple of 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Silvered Wooden Candlesticks
Located in Buisson, FR
Great pair of wooden candleholders with their beautiful silver leaf gilding. Italy, circa 1760-1800. Weathered and small losses Measurements are individual and include the iron peak....
Iron
Pair of Georgian Style Bronze Double Candle Holders Wall Sconces, 1940s-1960
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage pair of bronze or brass sconces features a traditional rounded sculptural silhouette with two ornate candle holder arms. The candle holders are equipped with bobeches for the...
Brass, Bronze
Pair Exotic French 19th Century Figural Gilt and Patinated Bronze Candelabras
Located in New York, NY
Pair of large and finest quality exotic orientalist motif French 19th century figural gilt and patinated bronze Candelabras on original marble bases.
Bronze
Pair of Tall Edwardian Sterling Silver Neoclassical Column-Form Candlesticks
Located in New York, NY
Tall, Edwardian, sterling silver, neoclassical, column-form candlesticks, Birmingham, England, 1914, Bayliss and Coulthard - makers. Measures: 12 1/2 high x 5 wide x 5 deep (at squar...
Sterling Silver
Pair of Candleholders with Karyatids, Bronze & Marble, Berlin Early 19th Century
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Empire candlesticks with bronze karyatids and white marble pedestals, crafted by Werner & Mieth in Berlin during the early 19th century.
Marble, Bronze
French Bronze Column Candlesticks Neoclassical, Pair
Located in New York, NY
A substantial pair of French gilt bronze Corinthian column candlestick holders in the Neoclassical style, circa 19th century, France. Candlesticks depict the Corinthian column, made ...
Bronze, Brass, Copper
18th Century Neoclassical Dore and Patinated Bronze Two Light Putti Candelabra
Located in New York, NY
Fine pair of Dore and patinated bronze figural putti 18th century two light candelabra on original Saint Anne marble plinths. Each individually modelled as ...
Marble, Bronze
$1,440Sale Price / set|20% Off
19th Century Italian Silver Gilt Neoclassical Hand-Carved Candlesticks
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Pair of 19-century Italian silver gilt candlesticks standing on a tripod-footed base with iron prickets that represents a luxurious blend of elegance and practicality, characterist...
Silver Leaf
$33,393 / set
Lapis, enamel, and gilt bronze clock garniture
Located in London, GB
Inspired by the art and culture of Classical Greece, this three-piece garniture contains a mantel clock and two candelabra. The rectangular body of the clock is of lapis lazuli and is surmounted by a Grecian vase...
Lapis Lazuli, Ormolu, Bronze, Enamel
Pair of 18th Century Italian Silver Gilt Wood Pricket Candlesticks
Located in Pearland, TX
A stunning pair of antique 18th-Century Italian silvered wood tripod pricket altar candlesticks. These gorgeous cathedral candlesticks are a nice large size, silver gilded and ornate...
Wood
Pair of Fine Italian Mid-Century Hand Blown Table Lamps by Seguso
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hand blown, with a gold-dusted glass tulip shape shade mounted on a bronze base. Original "SB/351 Murano Seguso Vetri d'Arte" label.
Bronze
Pair, Bronze Neoclassical Sea Serpent or Koi Fish Candleholders Candlesticks
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of neoclassical bronze Koi fish or sea serpent figurative candlesticks, candleholders. These Asian inspired sculptural curved candlesticks feat...
Bronze
Vintage Pair of Wall Sconces with Fish and Seashells
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Lofty pair of wall sconces cast in composition in an unusual neoclassical grotto form with ribbons, fish and seashells having a silvered finish around distressed mirrors. Signed Carv...
Composition
Pair of Eleven-Light Silvered Bronze Large Figural Candelabra
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of Large Candelabra in Silvered Bronze Neoclassical silvered bronze figural candelabra with 11-light. England, 19th century. This magnificent pair of candelabra features a masc...
Silver, Bronze
Pair of Neoclassical Italian Carved Gold Giltwood Candlestick Table Lamps
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Pair of vintage Italian neoclassical style carved gold giltwood candlesticks converted to beautiful table lamps, features white cream gesso and gold gilt polychrome finish, solid car...
Metal
Vintage Neoclassical Brass Candelabra with Four Arms
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage brass candelabra in Neoclassical style features four figurative sculptural arms and heavy, stable round base. Each candle holder except for the central one is fitted with a b...
Bronze, Metal
Pair of Regency Gilt and Patinated Bronze Atlas Figural Candelabra
By Messenger & Phipson
Located in Essex, MA
Pair of Regency or William IV figural candelabra in form of Atlas and a globe. Six arms issuing from top. Patinated bronze, gilded bronze and bronze. A truly rare from. Attributed to...
Bronze
$2,800Sale Price / set|20% Off
Exquisite Pair of Neo-Gothic Gold-Plated Brass Candlesticks, c. 1850-1890
Located in Skien, NO
Exquisite Pair of 19th-Century Neo-Gothic Gold-Plated Brass Candlesticks – German Antique Masterpieces (c. 1850-1890) **A Rare & Opulent Neo-Gothic Treasure** This stunning matc...
Brass, Bronze, Gold Plate
$336Sale Price / set|20% Off
A set of three neoclassical postmodern “Ruins” stone candleholders, late 20th c
Located in View Park, CA
A set of three fossil and tessellated stone “ruins” candlesticks by Renoir Designs, late 20th century. This postmodern trio emulates the neoclassical sensibilities of Ancient Greece ...
Soapstone
SECOND HALF OF THE 18th CENTURY PAIR OF LACQUERED AND GILT CANDELABRA
Located in Firenze, FI
Elegant pair of carved and ivory-lacquered Swiss pine candelabra, embellished with pure gold trim. The candelabra have a square base and a smooth amphora shape, enhanced by refined d...
Gold Leaf
Nineteenth Century Gilt Bronze Candelabra Pair, French or Russian
Located in Milano, IT
Pair of thirteen-flame candelabra France or Russia Second quarter of 19th century Cast, chiseled and gilt bronze Height 40.95 in (cm 104), diameter 17,7 in (cm 45) 97 lb (44 kg) Sta...
Ormolu
Monumental Antique Cast Iron Figural Neoclassical Griffin Candle Or Planters
Located in North Fort Myers, FL
An exceptional and increasingly rare pair of antique cast iron garden pedestals, dating to the late 19th century and executed in a dramatic Neoclassical style with figural griffin ba...
Iron
Circa 1870 Likely English Pair of Neoclassical Urn Form Girondoles
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
A pair of neoclassical urn form girondoles, circa 1870. A particularly elegant pair of girondoles (candleholders) on white marble bases, probably English. Finely detailed in the urn,...
Marble, Brass
1970s Neo-Classical Style Italian Ram Form Candlesticks, Pair
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a good looking pair of Italian neo-classical style candlesticks. They have an elongated cornucopia that graduates downward to a detailed ram’s head. They are composition and ...
Composition
Large Pair of Neoclassical Sterling Silver Column-Form Candlesticks
Located in New York, NY
Large pair of Neoclassical (made in the Victorian Period), sterling silver column-form candlesticks, Sheffield, England, year-hallmarked for 1898, Henry Wigful - maker. Each candlestick measures 11 1/6 inches high x 5 1/4 inches deep x 5 1/4 inches wide. Columns are swirled in design. The capital of each column is designed with acanthus leaves. The base of each candlestick is decorated with profiles of the Green Man (a good luck symbol...
Sterling Silver
Tall Pair of English Stepped Column Candlesticks in Turned Wood, 20th Century
Located in Morristown, NJ
Elegant and architectural, this pair of 20th-century English candleholders is crafted in a classic stepped columnar form, standing an impressive 21 inches high on 5.75-inch square ba...
Wood
A pair of document. Louis-Philippe gilt bronze Candlesticks from Chateau Neuilly
Located in San Francisco, CA
A very rare pair of French gilt-bronze (ormulu) candlesticks on yellow marble/alabaster bases with the royal inventory marks from the reign of Louis-Philippe.The stamps on the gilt b...
Gold Plate
Pair of Russian Crystal and Bronze Candelabras, Imperial Russian Glass Workshop
Located in New York, NY
A pair of finely crafted Russian diamond-patterned cut-crystal five-light candelabra mounted and embellished with finely chased doré Bbonze mounts, from the early 1800s. These rare candelabra are attributed to the Imperial Russian Glass...
Bronze