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.
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Marble, Ormolu
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Metal
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Bronze
20th Century European Neoclassical Candle Holders
Enamel, Ormolu
20th Century North American Neoclassical Candle Holders
Belgian Black Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze, Ormolu
1870s Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Griotte Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Japanese Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 1800s French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Giltwood
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Composition
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Metal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Candle Holders
Plaster
18th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
1880s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze, Ormolu
2010s Italian Neoclassical Candle Holders
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Candle Holders
Copper
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Carrara Marble, Ormolu
20th Century Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Candle Holders
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Siena Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Griotte Marble, Bronze
1990s North American Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Griotte Marble, Ormolu
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Oak
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Siena Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Malachite, Ormolu
20th Century Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Porphyry, Ormolu
1910s English Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Wood, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Candle Holders
Ormolu, Bronze