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.
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Alabaster
1870s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Oak
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
Early 1900s European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Tôle
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Concrete
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
20th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Rock Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Cast Stone, Concrete
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood, Hardwood, Boxwood, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Clay, Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Concrete
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Crystal, Carrara Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1910s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Clay
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver, Other
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ormolu
20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Limestone, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Siena Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Statuary Marble
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Polish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble