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
Metal
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1870s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Rush, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1970s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Eggshell, Lacquer
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Textile, Paper, Pine, Walnut, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Linen, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Burl, Walnut
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Textile, Wood
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Brass, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Clay, Pottery
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry, Pine
1950s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Czech Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Silk
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Brass
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Plaster
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass