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 American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Persian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Gold
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Stained Glass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cut Glass, Giltwood
2010s Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Breccia Marble, Statuary Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1970s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet, Beech, Pine
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Lead
Early 20th Century Danish Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
1820s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Walnut, Burl
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Paper
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1980s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Cut Steel
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Gold
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porphyry, Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s North American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver