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.
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Rosewood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1760s North American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Birch
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Giltwood, Burl
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
1810s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Yew
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Granite, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Leather, Pine
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Maple
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine, Paint
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Mahogany, Rosewood, Satinwood
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Stone
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Bronze, Steel, Iron, Brass
Early 20th Century Danish Neoclassical Tables
Ash, Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Alabaster, Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Oak
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Other
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Late 20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Iron
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass





