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
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Stained Glass, Pine
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Poplar
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1910s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Pottery
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Maple, Oak, Walnut
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Hardwood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century British Neoclassical Furniture
Ironstone
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Yarn
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Hardwood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Glass
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pearlware, Pottery
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sandstone
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze
1910s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1990s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Fabric
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Giltwood