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.
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Concrete, Travertine, Metal
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Concrete, Marble, Iron
18th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Tables
Oak
1960s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1820s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1990s American Neoclassical Tables
Leather, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Mahogany, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Burl
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Silver Leaf
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Lead
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Burl
1940s European Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1820s Irish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Wrought Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Abalone
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Stone
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Maple
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fir
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Oak
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Malachite, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry, Burl
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass