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.
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Zinc
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood, Olive
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 1900s Latvian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron, Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Maiolica, Majolica
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry, Satinwood, Walnut
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1980s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wire
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Leather
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay, Pottery
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Linen
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
1880s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu