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.
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Pine
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Pine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Beech
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Steel, Iron
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Scottish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sandstone
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Cement, Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1970s European Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Steel
Mid-18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Early 1800s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1810s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Mirror
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Limestone
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Wrought Iron
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Siena Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze