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.
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Brass, Bronze, Steel
Mid-20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Rosewood
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Cast Stone
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paper, Glass
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Tôle
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Slate
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Felt, Wood
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Art Glass, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1950s Mexican Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Siena Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Ebony, Satinwood, Giltwood, Burl
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel, Silver Leaf
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood, Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Granite
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Hardwood