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.
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Iron, Gold Leaf
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry, Oak
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Satinwood, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cotton
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Giltwood
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Czech Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Steel, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Pine
Mid-20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century North American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Rosewood, Pine
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century British Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood, Paint
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
2010s Northern Irish Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Statuary Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Lead
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1760s North American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Birch
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Walnut
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze