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.
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1910s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1910s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porphyry, Ormolu
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Coral
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Steel, Iron, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary German Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
1990s Philippine Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Hardwood, Paint
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
1930s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet, Birch
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Leather
1980s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
Early 1900s Asian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Steel
Early 1900s Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Jade, Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass