Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
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.
1990s Italian Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary English Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Wool, Cotton
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
20th Century American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Wool, Cotton, Satin
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Chrome
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
2010s English Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Leather
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Leather, Fabric
20th Century British Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Leather
2010s American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton, Velvet, Down
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Metal
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Velvet
Late 19th Century North American Antique Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Velvet
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Tapestry, Mohair, Velvet
1990s American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Felt, Nylon
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Silk
20th Century American Neoclassical Quilts and Blankets
Cotton