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.
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bone, Beech
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Colombian Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Mahogany
1970s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Glass, Bone, Wood
1970s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Goatskin
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bone, Lacquer
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Goatskin, Mahogany
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Coconut
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood, Pine
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Side Tables
Stone
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Steel
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Side Tables
Satinwood, Walnut
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Metal, Brass, Steel
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Brass, Steel
1980s European Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze
1980s Vietnamese Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Marble, Steel
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bronze, Chrome
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Bone
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Side Tables
Goatskin, Wood