Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
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.
20th Century Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Marble, Bronze, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Giltwood
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Bronze
1910s Scottish Vintage Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Walnut
Early 20th Century British Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Oak
1860s British Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Oak
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Iron
20th Century European Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass, Iron
Early 1900s German Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Aluminum
1920s British Vintage Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
1950s Vintage Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
1980s German Vintage Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century Portuguese Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Oak
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Metal, Brass
1820s French Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Giltwood, Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Marble, Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Iron
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Scientific Instruments
Marble, Brass