Neoclassical Table Lamps
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.
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Porcelain, Parchment Paper
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Ormolu
1990s Philippine Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Resin
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Silver, Vermeil
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Bronze
1930s Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass, Sheet Metal
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Neoclassical Table Lamps
Onyx, Metal
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Metal, Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Plaster
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Metal, Bronze
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Iron
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Alabaster
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Table Lamps
Silver
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Table Lamps
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Table Lamps
Metal
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Onyx, Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Fabric, Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Stone, Chrome
1960s British Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Porcelain
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Fabric, Harewood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Bronze
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Metal
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Onyx
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Table Lamps
Carrara Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Carrara Marble, Marble, Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Ceramic, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Bronze, Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century American Neoclassical Table Lamps
Porcelain
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Table Lamps
Porcelain
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Carrara Marble
1990s French Neoclassical Table Lamps
Bronze, Silver Plate
20th Century French Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
1940s North American Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass, Bronze
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Alabaster