Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage 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.
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Paint
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Plywood
1850s Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
18th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Oak
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Oak
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wool, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary German Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal, Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Olive, Burl
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Sycamore, Wenge
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Satinwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Paint
1990s Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Hardwood, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Birch
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Hardwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Cherry
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Hardwood
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Limestone, Metal