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 Italian Neoclassical Seating
Nickel
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Linen, Upholstery
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wicker
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Seating
Leather
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Maple
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Neoclassical Seating
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Iron
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Nickel
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Cane, Wood, Giltwood
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Linen, Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Cane
1880s British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Cane, Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Seating
Gold Plate
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wicker, Wood
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Neoclassical Seating
Iron
16th Century British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
1970s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Beech, Pine
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Giltwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Textile, Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Bronze, Wrought Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Hardwood
1780s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Oak
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Seating
Cane, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Metal
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Aluminum
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Seating
Metal
2010s Italian Neoclassical Seating
Marble, Gold Leaf
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Faux Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Steel
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Neoclassical Seating
Mohair, Velvet
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Linen
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood