Neoclassical Side 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.
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Boxwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Maple
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Cane, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Walnut
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Rock Crystal, Tin
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Oak
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany, Burl
20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Leather, Mahogany, Satinwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Early 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Leather, Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Birdseye Maple
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
Mid-18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Burl
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Brass