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.
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Scandinavian Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Velvet
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Aluminum
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Oak, Ash, Maple, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper, Glass
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Rush, Maple
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet, Walnut, Down
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Moldovan Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Giltwood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Nickel
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Linen
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Early 1800s British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pearlware
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cotton, Wool
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Linen
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Tôle
1970s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wool