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 Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Steel
Early 20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Iron
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary English Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Cast Stone, Cement
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Steel
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Silk, Velvet
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Latvian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Wrought Iron
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Brass
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Rock Crystal, Marble, Bronze
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Travertine, Bronze