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.
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Onyx, Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Nickel, Brass, Steel
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak, Mirror
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Birdseye Maple
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1920s British Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Sycamore, Walnut
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Beech, Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Birdseye Maple
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Rattan, Bamboo
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak, Lacquer
2010s Portuguese Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Walnut, Oak, Ash
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1920s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
1920s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Poplar
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Acrylic, Wood
Early 1900s Antique Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Iron
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal, Bronze