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.
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Hardwood, Paint
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Goatskin
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Steel, Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Slate
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Gesso, Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Burl
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Chrome
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Pewter
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1950s British Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Nickel, Brass, Steel
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
1890s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Bamboo
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Bronze
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Oak, Cherry
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Onyx, Bronze
1820s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Metal