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 Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Copper
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1910s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mohair, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet, Wood
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Plaster
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Cane, Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1990s Sri Lankan Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1930s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Chrome, Iron
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Sheet Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Limestone
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Textile, Resin
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Plastic, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Breccia Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze





