Neoclassical Gueridon
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-20th Century Neoclassical Gueridon
Stone, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Bronze, Steel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Metal
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Ash, Beech
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble
1940s Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Gueridon
Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Brass, Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Plastic
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Gueridon
Satinwood, Walnut, Mahogany, Burl
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Gueridon
Tôle
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Gueridon
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Gueridon
Faux Bamboo
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel, Nickel
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Carrara Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Stone, Brass, Metal
1960s European Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Bamboo, Faux Bamboo, Wood
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Bronze
1950s British Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Gueridon
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Gueridon
Marble, Bronze