Neoclassical Bookcases
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.
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Bookcases
Wood
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Bookcases
Brass
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Bookcases
Glass, Cherry, Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Bookcases
Oak
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Bookcases
Pine
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Bookcases
Blown Glass, Satinwood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Bookcases
Pine
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Bookcases
Glass, Oak
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Bookcases
Mahogany
1940s English Vintage Neoclassical Bookcases
Pine
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Bookcases
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Bookcases
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Bookcases
Brass
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Bookcases
Satinwood, Paint
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Bookcases
Oak
1960s Canadian Vintage Neoclassical Bookcases
Oak
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Bookcases
Glass, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Bookcases
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Bookcases
Steel
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Bookcases
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Bookcases
Walnut
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Bookcases
Glass, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Bookcases
Pine
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Bookcases
Oak
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Bookcases
Birdseye Maple
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Bookcases
Ash, Mahogany, Burl
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Bookcases
Walnut
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Bookcases
Brass