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.
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Seating
Elm
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Cane, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
1840s Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wool, Beech
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Maple
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
2010s European Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Linen, Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Velvet
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Metal
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Ormolu
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Metal, Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Metal, Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Mahogany, Giltwood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Cane, Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Pine, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Bronze
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Rosewood, Pine
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Birdseye Maple
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Mahogany
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Mahogany
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Wood, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Seating
Cherry
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Neoclassical Seating
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Seating
Chenille
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
1870s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Seating
Damask, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Seating
Wicker, Rattan, Rush
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Leather
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany, Rush