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.
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Textile, Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Slate
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Silk
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood, Pine
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Rush, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware, Pottery
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Enamel
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ironstone
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Velvet
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
1890s Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Other
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Fabric
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine