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.
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Cherry
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Lacquer, Oak, Maple
1950s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
1940s North American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut, Giltwood
20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Laminate, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Pine
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Pine
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Cane, Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut, Maple, Burl
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Side Tables
Onyx, Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Travertine
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
20th Century Dutch Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Wood, Beech
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Burl
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
1990s Indonesian Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
1990s European Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Iron, Tôle
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Side Tables
Hardwood
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Onyx, Metal
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Mahogany
1840s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal, Brass, Nickel
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble
2010s American Neoclassical Side Tables
Oak
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Side Tables
Beech