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.
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Fruitwood, Giltwood
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
2010s Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Copper
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Rock Crystal, Tin
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
1980s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Stoneware
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Mid-17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century Portuguese Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry, Poplar, Pine
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1990s American Neoclassical Furniture
Cotton, Wood, Down
1940s English Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Furniture
Oak, Plywood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Metal
Early 2000s North American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Mirror
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
20th Century English Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Travertine, Wrought Iron
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ironstone