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.
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Gesso, Glass, Giltwood
18th Century and Earlier German Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Stone
18th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass, Iron
18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
16th Century British Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Mahogany
16th Century British Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Satinwood
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Siena Marble
18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Elm
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
2010s Dutch Neoclassical Cabinets
Metal, Aluminum
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Walnut, Leather
1970s Belgian Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak
1910s English Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
1970s Belgian Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak
2010s American Neoclassical Cabinets
Silver Leaf
1910s Dutch Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Cabinets
Glass, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Walnut
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Satinwood, Walnut, Yew
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Brass
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Steel
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Pine, Giltwood, Wood, Paint
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Walnut
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
1780s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Cherry
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Cabinets
Pine