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.
20th Century Indian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Copper
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Delft
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stone, Limestone
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
1750s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Plaster
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ormolu, Bronze
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Statuary Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Lapis Lazuli, Ormolu
1790s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Faience
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Statuary Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Other
1980s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Plaster
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Rock Crystal
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Carrara Marble, Steel
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1880s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Paper
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Enamel, Other
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Metal
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Clay
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Plaster, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Composition
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Gold Plate, Brass, Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Plaster
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
17th Century Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass