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 American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Earthenware
1880s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Shell
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Late 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Cane, Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Paint, Plaster
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1970s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry, Oak
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silk, Mahogany, Giltwood
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Coral
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Glass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Linen
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Silk
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror
Early 19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Oak, Paint, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal