Neoclassical End 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.
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Travertine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Wood, Leather
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical End Tables
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Metal
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Paper
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical End Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Bronze
2010s American Neoclassical End Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical End Tables
Brass
1960s Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Glass
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical End Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical End Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
2010s American Neoclassical End Tables
Oak, Maple
2010s American Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut, Oak, Maple, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical End Tables
Wood, Mirror
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Ormolu
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Brass
1810s European Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical End Tables
Bentwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical End Tables
Mirror, Lucite, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical End Tables
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical End Tables
Fruitwood, Glass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical End Tables
Travertine, Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Bronze
18th Century American Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Mahogany
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Onyx, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Marble, Brass