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.
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Iron
1950s Belgian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Elm
1970s North American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Maple
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Beech
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Plastic, Hardwood, Paint
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Poplar
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Seating
Iron
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Velvet, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Metal, Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Pine
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Late 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Metal
Early 20th Century North American Neoclassical Seating
Hardwood
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Pine, Paint
19th Century Scandinavian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Oak
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Cane
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Rush, Walnut
2010s Italian Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Beech
Late 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Feathers
20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
1930s European Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Beech, Lacquer
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Walnut
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Mahogany
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Rush, Wood, Paint
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Cherry
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Bronze
20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut, Velvet
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather