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.
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Rush, Maple
1990s American Neoclassical Seating
Cotton, Wood, Down
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1860s Danish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wool, Beech
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wool, Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Rosewood
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Maple
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Rush, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany, Fabric
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Rush, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Rosewood, Pine
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mohair, Mahogany
1880s British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Birdseye Maple
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1840s Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wool, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Linen
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Aluminum
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Cherry
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
1870s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Seating
Damask, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Metal
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
1970s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Beech, Pine
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Mahogany
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Ormolu
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Mohair, Mahogany
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Maple