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 Ukrainian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Marble, Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Iron, Tin
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Slate
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster
1810s European Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Other
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Wood, Giltwood
1890s Czech Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Iron
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Early 1900s English Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Onyx, Bronze
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Other
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Silver
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Lighting
Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Ormolu
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Wrought Iron, Tin, Silver Leaf
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Gold Leaf, Metal, Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Silver Leaf
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Fir
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Lighting
Rock Crystal, Brass, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Rock Crystal, Bronze
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Gold Leaf, Tin, Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Composition, Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1880s British Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Wood
1940s Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Porcelain
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze