Neoclassical Natural Specimens
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 American Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Acrylic
Late 20th Century Pakistani Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Wood
Late 20th Century Pakistani Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Rock Crystal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Precious Stone
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Rock Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Rock Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Marble, Porphyry
20th Century Russian Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Stone, Malachite
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Malachite
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Alabaster
20th Century French Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Rock Crystal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Coral, Carrara Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble, Cement, Steel
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble, Porphyry, Ormolu
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Giltwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Bronze
1840s French Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Oak
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Coral, Bronze
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Coral, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble
1890s European Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Agate, Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble, Metal, Bronze
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Natural Specimens
Silver