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 European Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century Czech Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gesso, Softwood, Giltwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Iron
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Marble, Metal, Bronze, Copper, Ormolu, Tin
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Wood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Granite
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
2010s Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Sheffield Plate, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ebony
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Aluminum
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Plate
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Maple
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Giltwood
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Burl
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Resin
1810s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron