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 French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
1980s Colombian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bone, Beech
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
1990s Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1970s Spanish Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1810s European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Beech
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Tables
Oak
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Beech
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Lacquer
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Neoclassical Tables
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Limestone
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Marble
1940s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Leather, Mahogany
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Tables
Limestone
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Oak
2010s Belgian Neoclassical Tables
Stone
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Hardwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Tables
Formica, Oak
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Bentwood
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Metal
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine, Paint
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble