Neoclassical Seating
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.
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Faux Leather, Wood
Early 1800s Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
1990s American Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Down
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Seating
Cherry
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Ormolu
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Canvas, Maple
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Feathers
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Giltwood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Pine
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Giltwood
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Mahogany
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Seating
Metal
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Leather
Late 20th Century Chinese Neoclassical Seating
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wool, Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Seating
Wicker, Rattan, Rush
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
1890s Danish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Pine, Giltwood, Lacquer, Paint
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Maple, Oak, Pine
1990s American Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Plaster
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Fabric
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Rush, Maple
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
2010s Indian Neoclassical Seating
Brass
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Cherry
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Metal
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Ormolu
1780s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Oak
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Rosewood
1940s European Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Maple





