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.
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Maple
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Fabric
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fruitwood, Paint
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Oak
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Alpaca
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Hardwood, Giltwood, Paint
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Walnut
2010s Portuguese Neoclassical Seating
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Walnut
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Tapestry, Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Concrete
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Cherry
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Birdseye Maple
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Giltwood, Lacquer
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Metal
1990s American Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery
2010s Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Hardwood, Paint
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Velvet, Mahogany
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Seating
Berlin Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Canvas, Maple
1930s European Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Lacquer, Upholstery, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Fabric, Velvet, Faux Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Silk, Wood, Lacquer
1870s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Seating
Damask, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Seating
Metal
1880s British Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Aluminum
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Jacquard
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Leather
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Bronze, Iron
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Hardwood, Giltwood, Silk
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Seating
Metal