Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
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.
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut, Burl
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Leather, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze, Steel
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany, Burl
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mirror, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mirror, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Nickel
2010s Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Cherry, Walnut
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
2010s American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Giltwood, Lacquer
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Giltwood
20th Century Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Alabaster, Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
2010s Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal, Brass
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Stone, Stainless Steel
20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Steel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mirror, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood