Neoclassical Candle Holders
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 French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Silver Leaf
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Candle Holders
Porcelain
1810s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
1970s European Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
1970s British Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Metal, Silver Plate
1980s Portuguese Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Porcelain
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Metal, Gold Plate, Brass, Bronze
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Candle Holders
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Silver
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Finnish Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wrought Iron
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Bronze
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Candle Holders
Stone, Marble, Metal, Silver, Bronze, Copper
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Iron, Metallic Thread
19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Crystal, Ormolu
20th Century North American Neoclassical Candle Holders
Belgian Black Marble, Brass
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Berlin Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Candle Holders
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candle Holders
Copper
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Pine, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze, Ormolu
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sheffield Plate
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wrought Iron, Tin, Silver Leaf
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Malachite, Ormolu
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
1810s European Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Other
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Ormolu, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candle Holders
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century Great Britain (UK) Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Crystal, Ormolu, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze, Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze