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.
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone, Limestone
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Terracotta
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Enamel
2010s French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Plaster
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Mahogany, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Eggshell, Lacquer
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Oak
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
2010s Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Silk, Velvet, Down
21st Century and Contemporary Persian Neoclassical Furniture
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Furniture
Limestone
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Lacquer, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Aluminum
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Pine
Early 2000s Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Neoclassical Furniture
Stone
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Rush, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
Early 2000s American Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Furniture
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s North American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Furniture
Cane, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood