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.
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Sculptures
Plaster
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century European Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Sculptures
Resin, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Carrara Marble
1930s European Vintage Neoclassical Sculptures
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Sculptures
Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Terracotta
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Sculptures
Blown Glass
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Sculptures
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Sculptures
Plaster
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Granite, Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Limestone
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Wood, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Sculptures
Paint, Plaster
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Sculptures
Brass
1990s American Neoclassical Sculptures
Fiberglass
1990s European Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Wood
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Metal
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Sculptures
Crystal
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Sculptures
Terracotta
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Metal, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Metal
20th Century American Neoclassical Sculptures
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Carrara Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Clay
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Sculptures
Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Sandstone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Limestone
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Sculptures
Limestone, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Clay, Terracotta
Mid-20th Century Sicilian Neoclassical Sculptures
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Sculptures
Composition
20th Century French Neoclassical Sculptures
Plaster
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Alabaster, Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sculptures
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 20th Century European Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Sculptures
Marble