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 Neoclassical Lighting
Iron
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Wrought Iron
18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Steel
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1790s Russian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Steel, Nickel
1980s German Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Copper
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Composition, Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1910s North American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Porcelain
1890s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass, Steel
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Gold Plate
1810s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Lighting
Silver Plate
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Lighting
Metal
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Crystal, Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Porphyry, Ormolu
1990s American Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Alabaster
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Travertine, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Lighting
Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze, Nickel
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Murano Glass
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Bronze
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Lighting
Brass
1950s English Vintage Neoclassical Lighting
Beech
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Lighting
Brass