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.
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Carrara Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Burl
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
2010s Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Ormolu
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Boxwood, Nutwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Fruitwood
19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
20th Century German Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany, Maple, Softwood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Sapele Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Birch
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Silver, Silver Leaf
20th Century American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
20th Century Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Pine
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Silver
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Satinwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Glass, Mirror, Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
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, Glass