Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
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.
1810s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Fir
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Fir
1830s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Fir
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Fir
1780s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Fir
1810s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Fir
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
1870s French Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
1820s German Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Marble, Bronze
2010s French Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Cherry, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Other
2010s French Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Iron
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Birdseye Maple, Mahogany
2010s Italian Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s French Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Iron
2010s Italian Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Ormolu, Bronze
1830s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Mahogany
19th Century Chinese Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Mirror, Teak
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Bronze, Ormolu
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Fir
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Vermeil, Silver
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Fir
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Wardrobes and Armoires
Mahogany, Oak