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 Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Satinwood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Iron
Mid-20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Fiberglass, Plaster
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Bronze
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Silver Leaf
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf, Bronze
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Gold Leaf
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bone, Beech
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Other
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Metal
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Rosewood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1990s American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1790s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Leather, Wood
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1820s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Walnut, Burl
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Granite
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Birch, Mahogany
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
1960s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Leather, Walnut
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble