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.
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Iron
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Cherry, Oak
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Quartz, Brass, Steel
2010s Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
1790s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Paint
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bentwood
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Iron, Zinc
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Cherry, Oak
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mirror
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Glass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
2010s Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Paint, Wood
2010s European Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry, Oak
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry, Oak
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Carrara Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass, Wire
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Leather, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
Early 1800s French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Softwood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Birch
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
2010s Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry, Oak, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry, Maple, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut