Neoclassical Desk Accessories
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.
20th Century French Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Crystal
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Precious Stone
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Hardwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Alabaster
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Metal
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Cut Glass, Wood
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Glass
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Glass
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-20th Century German Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Glass
Early 20th Century Czech Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Glass
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Wood, Paper
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Rock Crystal
Early 20th Century Czech Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Glass
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Crystal
1990s Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Brass
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Other
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Paper
20th Century American Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Leather
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Desk Accessories
Canvas