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.
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Wood, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Wood
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Fabric, Wood
1950s European Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Steel
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
18th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Beech, Maple
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Seating
Berlin Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Pine
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fruitwood
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Tapestry, Wood, Giltwood, Velvet
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Giltwood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Textile, Wood, Walnut
Early 19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Seating
Teak
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Ormolu
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Leather, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
Early 1800s Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Upholstery
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Faux Leather, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Seating
Leather
1850s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wool, Wood
1970s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Beech, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Leather, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Fabric, Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Seating
Marble, Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Seating
Kingwood, Satinwood, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Maple
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Pine
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Maple
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Rosewood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Giltwood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
1870s French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Foam, Mahogany