Neoclassical Armchairs
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.
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Metal
1810s French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Fruitwood
1820s German Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Upholstery, Cherry, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Giltwood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Maple
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood
1820s German Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Elm
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Velvet, Tapestry, Wood, Giltwood
1870s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Damask, Walnut
1880s British Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Giltwood, Paint
1820s French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Abalone, Silk, Upholstery, Foam, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood, Fabric
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Hardwood, Giltwood, Silk
1830s European Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Fabric, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Upholstery, Birch
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Fabric, Mahogany
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Fruitwood
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Leather, Elm
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Beech
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Leaf
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Leaf
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood
Early 19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Rosewood, Giltwood
1820s Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Birch, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany
1820s Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Birch, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Straw, Oak
Early 19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany
1870s American Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Rush, Walnut
1870s German Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Walnut
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Beech
1850s German Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Gold Plate
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Armchairs
Brass