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.
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Plaster
1790s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Maiolica
20th Century Russian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stone, Granite
1920s Belgian Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver, Brass
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Alabaster
1860s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stone, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Berlin Iron
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Majolica
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Malachite, Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Straw
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Alabaster, Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood, Terracotta
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Cast Stone
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Maiolica
19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Crystal, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Alabaster
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Silver
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Pine, Paint
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron, Metallic Thread
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Epoxy Resin
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Belgian Black Marble, Griotte Marble, Silver Plate, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century Swiss Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Slate, Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Alabaster
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Concrete
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stone, Limestone, Metal, Bronze
1990s American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Majolica, Porcelain
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wicker, Paint
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Resin
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Gold, Bronze
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Malachite
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver