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-20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sapele Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stone
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Glass
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Composition
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 1900s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
1990s Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porphyry, Ormolu
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Sicilian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Maple, Rosewood
2010s Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Plaster
Early 2000s Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Alabaster
1890s Central American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Glass
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Delft, Faience
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Alabaster
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Walnut
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
1910s English Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Aluminum
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1820s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Art Glass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Sycamore
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
1990s American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver Plate
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Crystal
20th Century German Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Pewter