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.
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Walnut
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Copper
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Hardwood, Paint
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Furniture
Wicker, Rattan, Rush
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Blown Glass
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Late 19th Century Czech Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Onyx, Metal
1880s British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Mirror, Wood, Beech
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century Russian Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1880s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ash
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut