Neoclassical 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.
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Porphyry
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Carrara Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Plaster
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Sculptures
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Cement, Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Other
1860s French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Terracotta
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Statuary Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Spelter
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Ormolu
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Ceramic, Plexiglass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Plaster
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Ceramic, Plexiglass
1850s Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Siena Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Ceramic, Plexiglass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Metal, Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Porcelain
20th Century European Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
1930s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
20th Century European Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Sculptures
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Sterling Silver, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Silver
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Terracotta, Wood
Early 1900s Czech Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Pottery
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Carrara Marble
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Carrara Marble, Stone
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Sandstone
1840s British Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Alabaster
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Statuary Marble
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Stone, Marble
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Other
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Breccia Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Sculptures
Cast Stone
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Sculptures
Iron