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.
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Statuary Marble
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Silver Plate
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cedar, Pine, Paint
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1930s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany, Oak
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
1880s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Poplar
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
1990s North American Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Wood
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Birdseye Maple, Paint
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Leather
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze