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.
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Breccia Marble
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Oak
1940s North American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Steel
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Paper
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood, Beech
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Tin
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Leather
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Alabaster
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Hardwood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Steel
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood, Satinwood, Walnut
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron, Tôle
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Tables
Porcelain, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Tables
Porcelain, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1840s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Onyx, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
1990s European Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Onyx, Silver Leaf
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Tables
Porcelain, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood
1840s European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Rosewood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Steel
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany