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 Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Laminate, Wood
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine, Mahogany, Oak
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood
1820s Irish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Bronze
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Iron
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Bamboo, Raffia, Hardwood
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Breccia Marble
1810s German Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Leather, Pine, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Walnut, Burl
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Travertine, Iron
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Leather, Wood
1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Burl, Wood
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Onyx, Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Burl
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood, Wood
1860s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Birdseye Maple
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany