Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
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 1900s German Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Pewter
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Ceramic
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Carrara Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Plaster
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Early 1900s Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century German Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Porcelain
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Brass
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Plaster
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Ceramic, Paint
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Alabaster, Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Walnut
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Pine
20th Century Kenyan Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary British Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Lapis Lazuli, Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Silver Plate
1990s American Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Earthenware
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Metal
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Animal Sculptures
Marble