Neoclassical Urns
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 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Urns
Terracotta
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Carrara Marble
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Urns
Porphyry
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1870s French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Ormolu, Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Urns
Bronze
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Onyx, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Metal, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Silver Plate
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Ormolu, Bronze
1910s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Urns
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Marble, Brass, Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Urns
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Tôle
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Marble, Serpentine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Urns
Siena Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Agate
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Urns
Ceramic, Walnut
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Urns
Porcelain
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Urns
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Urns
Granite, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Urns
Cast Stone, Cement, Limestone
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Urns
Alabaster
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Urns
Rock Crystal