Neoclassical Console 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 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
Mirror, Poplar, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Pine
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Belgian Black Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Slate
2010s French Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Oak, Cherry
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
20th Century French Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Console Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Console Tables
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Console Tables
Brass, Steel
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Silver Leaf
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Metallic Thread
20th Century American Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Brass, Bronze, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Console Tables
Limestone
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Console Tables
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Console Tables
Elm, Mahogany, Maple, Burl
1820s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Console Tables
Mirror, Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Granite, Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood, Mahogany, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Console Tables
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Console Tables
Iron
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Mirror, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
18th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
20th Century Neoclassical Console Tables
Wood
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Console Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Console Tables
Iron