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.
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Brass
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Cherry, Burl
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Nickel
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Breccia Marble, Statuary Marble
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Granite
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Wrought Iron
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Onyx, Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Ormolu
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Slate
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Concrete, Marble, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Tables
Iron
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Bronze, Stainless Steel
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood, Lacquer, Paint
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Wrought Iron
1760s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Pine
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fir
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze, Steel
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint