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.
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
Early 1800s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1820s English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Other
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble
1950s European Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Maple
1990s American Neoclassical Tables
Limestone
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1810s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1930s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary North American Neoclassical Tables
Zinc
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood, Glass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Iron, Other
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Scagliola, Walnut
1940s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Pine
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Ebony, Walnut, Giltwood
19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal