Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
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 French Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Linen, Wood
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Brass
Early 20th Century Russian Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Wicker, Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Rattan
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Fabric
20th Century Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Rush, Maple
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Wicker, Wood
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 1900s Antique Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Suede, Walnut
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
1910s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Metal, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Linen, Wood
1910s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Linen