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.
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Burl
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Ebony, Mahogany, Satinwood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1950s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Breccia Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Maple
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Hardwood
Early 1900s Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut, Oak, Maple, Mahogany
2010s Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century North American Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Paint
1940s North American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1970s Philippine Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Copper
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Plaster
20th Century North American Neoclassical Side Tables
Rosewood
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Maple, Oak, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Birdseye Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Amethyst, Enamel, Ormolu
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany, Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Griotte Marble, Marble, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble