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.
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Table Lamps
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Bronze
Early 2000s Unknown Neoclassical Table Lamps
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Glass
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass, Aluminum, Steel
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Table Lamps
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Ceramic, Plexiglass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Ceramic, Plexiglass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Ceramic, Plexiglass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Lucite, Giltwood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Malachite, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary English Neoclassical Table Lamps
Wood, Gesso
2010s Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Marble, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Murano Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Chrome
1930s European Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
20th Century Neoclassical Table Lamps
Pewter
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Swedish Neoclassical Table Lamps
Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Table Lamps
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Table Lamps
Brass
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Table Lamps
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Spanish Neoclassical Table Lamps
Linen, Stoneware
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Table Lamps
Metal