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 Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint, Gesso
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Glass, Wood, Boxwood, Oak, Satinwood
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Plaster
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Aluminum
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Eggshell, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Cherry, Poplar, Pine
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paint, Giltwood, Wood
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Foam, Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Iron
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cedar, Pine, Paint
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Maple, Oak, Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Gold, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry, Ebony
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1960s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Earthenware, Delft
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood, Paint
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze