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.
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century Swiss Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Rosewood
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Iron
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Opaline Glass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Cotton, Velvet, Down
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Chrome
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Aluminum
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Oak, Upholstery
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Other
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Mid-20th Century Czech Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Poplar
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Satinwood
1960s European Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze