Neoclassical Benches
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.
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Benches
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Benches
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Bronze, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Benches
Walnut
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Brass
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Benches
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Benches
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Steel
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Velvet, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Wood
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Velvet, Fruitwood
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Leather, Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Benches
Hardwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Benches
Pine
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Stone, Concrete
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Benches
Bronze, Wrought Iron
1820s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Benches
Walnut, Silk
20th Century Neoclassical Benches
Steel
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Leather, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Benches
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Giltwood
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Mahogany
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Brass, Stainless Steel
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Giltwood, Fabric, Ebony
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Metal, Brass
1990s American Neoclassical Benches
Velvet, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Benches
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Wood
1880s English Antique Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Benches
Aluminum
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Benches
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Iron
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Wood, Birch
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Benches
Concrete
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Linen, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Benches
Carrara Marble
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Benches
Linen, Oak
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Benches
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Benches
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Benches
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Benches
Gold Leaf
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Benches
Wood, Paint