Neoclassical Folk Art
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.
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Paint
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Fir
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Hardwood
1850s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Bronze
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Silver, Bronze
1750s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Silver
1730s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Silver
1740s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Silver
1890s Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Silver
1760s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Silver
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Fir
19th Century Mexican Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Limestone
20th Century North American Neoclassical Folk Art
Wire
1890s American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Wool, Cotton
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Folk Art
Cotton
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Copper
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Folk Art
Cast Stone
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Folk Art
Plastic
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Paint
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Paint
1880s American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Shell
20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood
1990s American Neoclassical Folk Art
Glass, Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Wool, Cotton
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Hardwood, Paint
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Ceramic, Plaster
20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Iron
1910s Vintage Neoclassical Folk Art
Wool
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Iron
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
1890s Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Cotton
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Cotton
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Metal, Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Copper
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Ceramic
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Plaster, Paint
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Copper, Iron
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Pine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Pottery
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Ceramic, Ironstone
19th Century Mexican Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Cotton
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Folk Art
Bronze
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Hardwood, Paint
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Pottery
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Folk Art
Copper
20th Century American Neoclassical Folk Art
Wool