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.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Birch
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Other
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century Indonesian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Teak
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Gold
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut, Glass
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Ebony, Satinwood, Giltwood, Burl
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf, Metal
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Steel, Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Iron
Early 20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
1930s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pearlware
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery, Stoneware
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Plaster
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Neoclassical Furniture
Burl
1920s British Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Gold, Enamel
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Granite, Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood