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.
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paint
16th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper, Wood, Glass
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Stoneware
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paint, Giltwood, Canvas
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Giltwood
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Terracotta
20th Century Persian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wool
20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Art
Ceramic, Stoneware
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Plaster
20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Art
Ceramic, Stoneware
1880s Danish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Ceramic
1880s Danish Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Ceramic
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art
Fabric, Wood
1970s Japanese Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Porcelain
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Silk, Wood
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Stoneware
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Gold Leaf
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Porcelain, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Faience, Pottery
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Canvas, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
1990s American Neoclassical Decorative Art
Plastic, Paper
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Faience, Pottery
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art
Metal
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Pine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Terracotta, Wood
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
1950s Central American Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Metal
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Malachite
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Paper
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paint
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Art
Terracotta
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Porcelain
1930s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art
Ceramic
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art
Masonite
16th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Wood, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Marble, Porphyry
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Art
Plexiglass, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art
Paper
Mid-20th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Art
Gold, Brass