Neoclassical Obelisks
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 Italian Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble, Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Obelisks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
Pearlware, Pottery
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble, Porphyry
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
Rock Crystal
1980s Philippine Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Horn
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble
1970s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Malachite, Ormolu
1980s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Obelisks
Precious Stone
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Obelisks
Alabaster
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Obelisks
Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Obelisks
Hardwood
20th Century Neoclassical Obelisks
Bronze
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Obelisks
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Obelisks
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Obelisks
Rock Crystal, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Obelisks
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
Breccia Marble
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
Stone
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Obelisks
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Obelisks
Rock Crystal
20th Century French Neoclassical Obelisks
Rock Crystal
Mid-19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Obelisks
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Obelisks
Onyx, Marble