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.
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Copper
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paint, Wood, Mirror
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood, Ebony, Mahogany, Satinwood, Glass
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Linen
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bone, Ebony, Mahogany
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Enamel
1850s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Indonesian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Teak
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Onyx, Bronze, Enamel
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porphyry, Bronze
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Leaf
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porphyry
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Copper, Other
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu, Tôle, Bronze
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster