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.
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Cane, Hardwood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Seating
Iron
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Ash
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
1820s French Antique Neoclassical Seating
Cherry
1950s Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Plaster, Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Seating
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Giltwood
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Oak, Upholstery
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Burl
2010s Neoclassical Seating
Bronze
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Fabric
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Mahogany, Sycamore
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Cane, Walnut, Lacquer
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Brass
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Seating
Paint, Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Giltwood, Paint
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Sheepskin, Mahogany
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Seating
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Canvas
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Paint
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Giltwood, Wood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Fabric, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Oak
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Walnut
20th Century European Neoclassical Seating
Ormolu
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Seating
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Bronze
1790s German Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Mahogany
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Seating
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Wood, Paint, Upholstery
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Seating
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Seating
Leather
2010s American Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Seating
Leather, Wood