Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
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.
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror
1970s Central American Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Rosewood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gold
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Walnut, Pine
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood, Paint
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Faux Bamboo, Mirror, Wood, Beech
20th Century French Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Glass, Mirror, Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Brass
1790s French Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
1810s Northern Irish Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gesso, Giltwood
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Glass
1970s Belgian Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Wood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Glass, Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Brass
2010s Italian Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s European Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Brass
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Plaster
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Iron, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
20th Century French Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Metal
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Glass, Wood
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Other
19th Century Portuguese Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
1990s Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Silver Leaf
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Wood, Mirror
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Glass, Mirror
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Silver Leaf
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gesso, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gold
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
1780s French Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Murano Glass