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
Pine
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry, Ebony
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Early 19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Tables
Oak, Paint, Walnut
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Concrete, Marble, Iron
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Tables
Elm, Mahogany, Maple, Burl
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Pine
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Composition
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze
1940s European Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Bronze, Steel