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.
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Silver Plate
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Concrete
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Serpentine
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone, Cement
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porphyry
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1930s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Other
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Bronze
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Satinwood
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf
1790s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Earthenware
1840s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Statuary Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Siena Marble
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Steel
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1980s Philippine Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Horn
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Travertine, Wrought Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pearlware, Pottery
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu