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.
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Metal, Brass
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Wood
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Seating
Leather
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Brass
2010s Neoclassical Seating
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Hardwood
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Stoneware, Mohair
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Steel
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Pine, Paint
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Rosewood, Pine
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Pine
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Birch
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Metal
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Mahogany, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Velvet, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Linen, Upholstery, Wood
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Linen, Mahogany
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Mohair
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany, Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Bronze, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Giltwood
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood, Paint
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Brocade, Wood
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Oak
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Nickel
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Brass