Neoclassical Vanities
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Vanities
Metal
1840s French Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Pine
1820s French Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Walnut
2010s French Neoclassical Vanities
Sycamore, Wenge
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Vanities
Marble, Metal
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Brass
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Neoclassical Vanities
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s North American Neoclassical Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1950s British Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Teak
20th Century American Neoclassical Vanities
Wood
1960s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Teak
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Brass
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Ebony
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Metal
20th Century French Neoclassical Vanities
Brass, Bronze
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Walnut
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Metal
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Elm, Oak
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Chrome
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Vanities
Chrome
20th Century Neoclassical Vanities
Mirror, Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Vanities
Mahogany, Oak
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Marble
Late 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Mahogany
20th Century American Neoclassical Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Carrara Marble, Tôle
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vanities
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vanities
Walnut