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.
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s British Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
Early 20th Century Russian Neoclassical Furniture
Silver, Enamel
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Nickel, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Early 1900s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Plate
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1920s German Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Canvas, Paper
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Spelter
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze
1910s British Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver