Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
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 Unknown Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Marble, Bronze, Brass
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze, Other
Early 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Bronze, Other
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze, Other
20th Century American Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
20th Century North American Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Gold
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass, Bronze, Copper, Tin
19th Century Swiss Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Gold, Enamel
Early 1800s American Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Gold
1840s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Late 18th Century Polish Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Gold, Enamel, Other
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze, Other
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
Early 20th Century British Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Oak
18th Century Tibetan Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
Early 1900s British Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Aluminum
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1790s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Coral, Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Onyx, Metal, Bronze
Mid-19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
1820s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Early 1700s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze