Neoclassical Industrial and Work 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.
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Bamboo, Raffia, Hardwood
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Mahogany, Rosewood, Satinwood
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Birdseye Maple
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Chestnut, Pine
1930s Mexican Vintage Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Zinc
2010s American Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Metal, Steel
1930s Mexican Vintage Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
1930s Mexican Vintage Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Vitrolite
20th Century French Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Iron
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Abalone, Oak
1960s Hong Kong Vintage Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Walnut
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Industrial and Work Tables
Oak