Neoclassical Cupboards
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.
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Poplar
Late 18th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Cupboards
Brass, Wire
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Cupboards
Metal, Wrought Iron
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Oak, Palisander
20th Century Neoclassical Cupboards
Wood, Pine
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Glass, Maple, Walnut, Fir
20th Century Neoclassical Cupboards
Wood, Pine
20th Century Neoclassical Cupboards
Wood, Maple, Pine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Pine
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Pine, Paint
20th Century Neoclassical Cupboards
Wood, Pine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Cherry
19th Century Asian Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Glass, Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Marble, Brass
20th Century English Neoclassical Cupboards
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Cupboards
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Cupboards
Walnut
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Cupboards
Oak, Walnut
1970s European Vintage Neoclassical Cupboards
Yew
2010s American Neoclassical Cupboards
Brass
20th Century British Neoclassical Cupboards
Hardwood
19th Century Swiss Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Walnut
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Cupboards
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Walnut
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Cupboards
Glass, Maple
1850s Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Walnut
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Wood
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Softwood
20th Century Neoclassical Cupboards
Wood, Pine
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Cupboards
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Cupboards
Glass, Walnut
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Cupboards
Pine