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.
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Onyx, Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1790s Russian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Oak
1950s Mexican Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Porcelain
19th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Gold Leaf
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Steel, Nickel
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Lapis Lazuli, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Ormolu
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
2010s American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1910s North American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century Dutch Neoclassical Lighting
Travertine, Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Steel
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Stone
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Earthenware
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Rosewood
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Metal
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Chrome, Nickel
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
19th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Bronze
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Gold Plate, Brass
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Cast Stone, Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Spelter
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Marble, Alabaster
1920s North American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Tin, Wire
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze