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.
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Metal
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical End Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
2010s American Neoclassical End Tables
Maple, Oak
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical End Tables
Marble, Bronze, Steel
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Paper
20th Century American Neoclassical End Tables
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical End Tables
Burl
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical End Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
2010s American Neoclassical End Tables
Leather, Rosewood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Pine, Mahogany, Oak
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Brass, Bronze
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Glass, Wood
18th Century American Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Ormolu
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
20th Century French Neoclassical End Tables
Marble
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Travertine
20th Century French Neoclassical End Tables
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Iron
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Wood
1820s Dutch Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical End Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Glass, Rosewood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical End Tables
Maple
1870s American Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical End Tables
Mirror, Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical End Tables
Fruitwood, Glass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical End Tables
Marble, Steel
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Gold Leaf
20th Century Italian Neoclassical End Tables
Limestone, Bronze
1970s Vintage Neoclassical End Tables
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical End Tables
1820s Russian Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Mahogany
1790s European Antique Neoclassical End Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century Russian Neoclassical End Tables
Marble, Bronze