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 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Limestone
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Hardwood
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Birdseye Maple
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Beech, Giltwood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Cherry
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
1850s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Other
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Other
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
1880s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Creamware
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
Early 1800s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Iron
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Silver
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Berlin Iron
1890s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1840s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Enamel
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Birdseye Maple
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Giltwood
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1810s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Fir
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Walnut
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Czech Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain