Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
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 American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Silver, Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mirror, Wood, Glass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mirror, Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Teak
1940s North American Vintage Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Linen, Wood
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
Late 20th Century British Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Elm
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mirror
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 1900s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Early 1800s Portuguese Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
1890s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
18th Century and Earlier Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass