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.
1860s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Mahogany
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Hardwood
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
1970s Philippine Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Copper
1940s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Terracotta
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Scagliola
1960s British Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Leather
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Birdseye Maple
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Chrome
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Steel
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Carrara Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Tables
Brass
2010s Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Oak, Wood, Cherry
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Slate
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tables
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Tables
Giltwood, Paint
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Silver
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wrought Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Satinwood
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany, Satinwood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tables
Wood