Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
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.
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Wicker, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Leather, Upholstery, Hardwood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1980s Philippine Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Iron
Late 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Oak
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Bronze
1950s Mexican Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
2010s Philippine Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
2010s Austrian Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Wrought Iron
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Wicker
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Bronze
Late 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Wood
1960s North American Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Mahogany
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
20th Century European Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Iron
20th Century European Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Pine
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass