Neoclassical Decorative Art
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 European Neoclassical Decorative Art
Gold, Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art
Acrylic
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Silver Plate, Copper
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paint, Fabric
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Brass
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas, Paint
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Bronze
1920s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wrought Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paint
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Porcelain, Giltwood
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Parchment Paper
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Art
Enamel
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Parchment Paper
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas
1860s Japanese Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
2010s Dutch Neoclassical Decorative Art
Ceramic, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paint
1930s British Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas, Paint, Wood
17th Century Peruvian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas, Paint
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Silk
20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas, Paint
1880s European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Glass
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Plaster
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art
Brass
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Stoneware