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
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Other
2010s American Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Ormolu
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Concrete, Travertine, Metal
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Gold
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Fruitwood, Satinwood, Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1860s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Tables
Stone, Marble
1830s German Antique Neoclassical Tables
Wood
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut, Giltwood
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Travertine
17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tables
Marble