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.
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Maple
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Silver Leaf
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut, Burl
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Pine
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Burl
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Iron
1990s Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Burl
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble, Metal
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Nickel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Cane, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut, Burl
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Iron, Tôle
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Brass, Steel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel, Nickel
1990s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Iron
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Lucite
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Stainless Steel
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany, Burl
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Carrara Marble