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.
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Rosewood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Granite
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Other
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Limestone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Brass, Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Concrete
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Maple
1970s English Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Granite, Brass, Iron
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Bamboo
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Griotte Marble, Marble, Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu, Tôle
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Burl
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Maple, Burl
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Onyx, Ormolu, Bronze, Enamel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Scagliola
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Rosewood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Oak
1810s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Giltwood
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble