Neoclassical Furniture
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.
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mohair, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Upholstery
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
2010s Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Fruitwood, Giltwood
1910s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Cherry, Poplar, Pine
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metallic Thread
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Earthenware, Delft
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Textile, Wood, Walnut, Pine, Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Mid-17th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Textile, Wool, Linen, Silk
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Velvet
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Copper
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Giltwood
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Satinwood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary North American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Reeded Glass, Wood
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut