Neoclassical 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.
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Aluminum
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1910s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Plaster
Late 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Composition
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Metal, Aluminum
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Gesso, Wood, Paint
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Poplar, Giltwood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
20th Century Russian Neoclassical Tables
Malachite, Brass, Bronze
1790s Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood, Rosewood, Tulipwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mirror
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Rock Crystal, Tin
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass





