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 and Earlier Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1980s Irish Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Baltic Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel, Silver Leaf
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1840s Czech Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Ormolu
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Scagliola
20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Iron
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Slate
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron, Tôle
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Wood, Walnut
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass, Stainless Steel
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Tables
Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1860s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Cherry, Oak
Early 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Chrome
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble