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.
2010s Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
2010s African Neoclassical Side Tables
Resin, Oak
2010s Spanish Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
2010s African Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
20th Century English Neoclassical Side Tables
Hardwood, Leather
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Chrome
2010s Mexican Neoclassical Side Tables
Agate, Metal
1930s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Mirror, Wood
2010s Portuguese Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Albanian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1910s North American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Silver Plate
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Silver
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Silver Plate
20th Century Asian Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal, Silver Leaf
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal, Silver Leaf