Neoclassical Decorative Objects
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 French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain, Giltwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sheet Metal
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Walnut
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Tin
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Copper, Iron
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Statuary Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Crystal
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Metal
18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Limestone, Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Copper
1990s European Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Limestone
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Gold
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Plaster
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
1990s Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Tin
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver Plate
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
1970s European Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Clay
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Majolica, Terracotta
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Pottery
1880s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Pottery
1910s Russian Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Jade, Silver
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze