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.
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1780s British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Fruitwood, Oak, Pine
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1930s British Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Steel
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mercury Glass, Wood
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
20th Century Russian Neoclassical Furniture
Malachite, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Mirror
20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Sicilian Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Iron, Metal
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Zinc
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Pewter
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Paint, Ceramic
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Composition
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Satinwood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric