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.
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Lighting
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Iron
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Porcelain, Parchment Paper
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Metal, Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1990s French Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Resin
1990s Philippine Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
2010s American Neoclassical Lighting
Nickel, Bronze, Brass
2010s Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Lighting
Nickel, Bronze, Brass
1930s Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Sheet Metal
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze, Cut Steel
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1990s Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Steel
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Silver, Vermeil
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1930s European Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass