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 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Brass
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Fabric
Late 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Gold, Enamel, Other
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
1910s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Moldovan Neoclassical Furniture
Ash
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet, Wood
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut, Pine, Satin
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Griotte Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Iron
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Paint, Plaster
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Onyx
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Rock Crystal, Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century Japanese Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Resin
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Other
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary German Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
19th Century Persian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Sicilian Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paint, Wood
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Copper
Early 20th Century British Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver