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.
20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Pine
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Leather, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mirror, Mahogany
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Poplar
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Iron
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal, Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Oak
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fruitwood, Walnut
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Lacquer
18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany, Paint
2010s American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Walnut
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Iron, Zinc
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut, Burl
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Satinwood
20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Textile, Fruitwood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak, Wood
1760s North American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Birch
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut, Poplar
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Limestone, Metal
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1880s Russian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
1780s French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Kingwood, Satinwood, Yew
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Fruitwood
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak, Wood
1830s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood