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.
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Rush, Wood, Paint
20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Poplar
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Gesso, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Copper
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Steel, Bronze, Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paint, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Foam
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
20th Century Russian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Malachite
1880s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Bronze, Copper, Tin
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Enamel
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain