Neoclassical Lighting
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 French Neoclassical Lighting
Silver, Bronze
19th Century Irish Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Zinc
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1990s Philippine Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1960s European Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster, Metal
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Gold Plate
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Cut Glass, Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary English Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1840s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1950s English Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Beech
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Iron
2010s American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
20th Century Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Wood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Opaline Glass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Lighting
Composition
2010s American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Giltwood, Paint
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Giltwood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze