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 American Neoclassical Tables
Plaster
1840s Czech Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1790s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Tables
Onyx, Marble, Carrara Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Burl
1940s European Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Metal
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Gesso, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Burl
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Giltwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Iron
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1990s American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Iron
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century North American Neoclassical Tables
Fiberglass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1950s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel, Silver Leaf
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
1880s English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bamboo
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bamboo
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass, Nickel
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Steel