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.
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1980s Irish Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel, Silver Leaf
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Mahogany
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Iron
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Tables
Oak
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century Philippine Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Metal
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Chrome
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron, Tôle
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Marble
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass, Stainless Steel
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Tables
Hardwood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1960s British Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Leather
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Marble, Brass, Steel
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Terracotta
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Travertine, Bronze
1940s Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Metal, Brass
1970s Philippine Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Copper
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
1970s German Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Chrome
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Steel
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Mirror, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Silver
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Tables
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Tables
Brass, Bronze