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.
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Composition
20th Century Thai Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Burl
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Early 1900s Russian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Jade, Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silk, Wood
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Stoneware
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Carrara Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Griotte Marble, Bronze
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Oak
Late 20th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 2000s Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble, Iron
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Marble
1970s British Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Silver Plate
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
1910s Russian Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Fabric, Silk, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Glass
20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Lacquer, Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Iron
20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Glass
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Porcelain, Paint
20th Century German Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Plaster
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ormolu
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Metal, Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver Leaf
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Silver Plate, Metal
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Pottery
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Terracotta, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Wood, Silk
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Objects
Walnut