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.
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Brass
Early 1900s Antique Neoclassical Benches
Wrought Iron
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Giltwood, Velvet
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Walnut, Linen
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Plaster, Pine
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 20th Century North American Neoclassical Benches
Hardwood
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Benches
Leather, Giltwood, Wood
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Benches
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Bronze, Wrought Iron
2010s Italian Neoclassical Benches
Teak, Rattan, Wood, Oak
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Benches
Pine, Paint
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Benches
Pine
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Wood
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Leather, Upholstery, Velvet
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Velvet, Fruitwood
20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Iron
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Benches
Brass
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Benches
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Paint, Linen, Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Benches
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Benches
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Benches
Iron
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Benches
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Benches
Wood