Neoclassical Secretaires
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 German Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
1840s French Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Secretaires
Olive, Burl
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Secretaires
Maple
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Wood
1820s French Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Ormolu
2010s French Neoclassical Secretaires
Leather, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
2010s Italian Neoclassical Secretaires
Wood
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Secretaires
Leather, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Mahogany
19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Ormolu
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Oak
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Cherry
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Secretaires
Burl
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Walnut
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Secretaires
Cherry
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Ormolu
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Mahogany
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Bronze
Early 2000s French Neoclassical Secretaires
Palisander
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Oak, Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Wood
Early 20th Century Danish Neoclassical Secretaires
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Wood
1960s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Secretaires
Teak
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Leather, Mahogany
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Secretaires
Oak
1770s Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Satinwood, Walnut, Yew
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Secretaires
Leather, Glass, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Secretaires
Glass, Pine
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Carrara Marble, Brass
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Marble, Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Brass
1940s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Secretaires
Birch
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Secretaires
Wood