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
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Walnut
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Steel
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Art Glass, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut, Maple, Burl
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Paper, Glass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Granite
Late 20th Century South American Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Side Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Pewter
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Granite
1950s British Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Satinwood, Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Burl
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Burl
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Side Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Giltwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Leather, Rosewood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mirror
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Stone, Iron
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Onyx, Ormolu, Bronze, Enamel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Giltwood
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Iron
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bone, Beech