Neoclassical Picture Frames
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.
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Picture Frames
Fruitwood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Boxwood
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Picture Frames
Paint, Wood, Canvas
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Picture Frames
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Metal, Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Metal, Bronze
1910s Russian Vintage Neoclassical Picture Frames
Jade, Silver
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Picture Frames
Bronze, Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Gesso, Giltwood
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Bronze
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Picture Frames
Gold Leaf
1930s Belgian Vintage Neoclassical Picture Frames
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Gold Leaf
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Giltwood, Mahogany, Wood, Mirror
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Bronze
1990s Russian Neoclassical Picture Frames
Silver
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Picture Frames
Silver Plate, Enamel
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Lacquer, Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Picture Frames
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Neoclassical Picture Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Neoclassical Picture Frames
Silver
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Picture Frames
Bronze
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Glass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Lacquer, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Enamel
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Canvas
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Other
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Other
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Giltwood
1760s French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Paper
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Wood, Giltwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Pine, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Picture Frames
Gold Leaf