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 Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Copper
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Copper, Zinc
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal, Brass
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1890s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Fruitwood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Marble
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Plastic, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Early 20th Century Danish Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
Late 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1950s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Faience, Pottery
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Travertine, Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Poplar, Giltwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Granite, Aluminum
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Fruitwood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silk, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
Early 1900s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood
1990s Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood