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 French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Pine
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
19th Century Irish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Majolica
Early 19th Century Irish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Pine
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Parchment Paper
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Beech
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Copper, Iron
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1980s European Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Maple, Oak, Walnut
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Cement, Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Iron
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Porphyry, Ormolu
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver, Bronze, Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood, Wood, Mirror, Gesso
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
2010s Mexican Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sandstone
Late 18th Century Scottish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sandstone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Siena Marble, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Neoclassical furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
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