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 American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Pine
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Statuary Marble
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware, Pottery
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cast Stone
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
1860s Danish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Beech
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silk, Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Paint
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Iron
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
1820s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Metal
Late 19th Century Czech Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Cherry, Poplar, Pine
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silk
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silk, Upholstery, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Limestone
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pearlware
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain