Neoclassical Cabinets
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 French Neoclassical Cabinets
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Sycamore, Wenge
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Cherry, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood, Oak, Cherry
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Cherry, Oak, Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Cherry, Oak
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Iron
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Cherry, Oak
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak, Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Iron
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood, Cherry, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Cabinets
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Cabinets
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Cabinets
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Cabinets
Metal
2010s American Neoclassical Cabinets
Glass, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Early 1900s Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Ash, Cherry
2010s Belgian Neoclassical Cabinets
Stone, Bronze
19th Century Irish Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Mahogany
20th Century French Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass, Bronze
1890s Chinese Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Elm
1970s Dutch Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Metal
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Metal
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak
20th Century Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak
1950s Scandinavian Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Mirror, Teak
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Cabinets
Glass, Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
2010s American Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
2010s Polish Neoclassical Cabinets
Hardwood
2010s Polish Neoclassical Cabinets
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood