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-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Early 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood, Tulipwood, Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine, Mahogany, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Steel
Late 20th Century South American Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Rosewood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary North American Neoclassical Tables
Hardwood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Oak, Wood
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Paper
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood, Paint
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Steel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Tables
Porcelain, Wood
1980s Philippine Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Copper
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Oak
1990s American Neoclassical Tables
Limestone
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Metal
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Crystal, Iron
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Burl
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood