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.
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Onyx, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century Russian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Steel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Granite
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Granite, Marble
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Silver Plate, Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Tables
Lacquer, Satinwood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Ormolu
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1820s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mirror
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze