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Neoclassical Decorative Art

NEOCLASSICAL STYLE

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.

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Style: Neoclassical
Period: Early 20th Century
Antique Glazed Terracotta Panel of an Architect
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
An antique glazed terracotta panel depicting an architect holding his masterpiece. This impressive panel displays detail and lustre making it a striking piece for any property. A dom...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Terracotta

Pair of Antique Pietra Dura Inlay Figural Plaques With Gilt Frame And Malachite
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions: Height: 9 1/4 in Width: 5 3/4 in Depth: 3/4 in This vintage pair of Pietra Dura framed plaques is bound to bring a sense of sophisticat...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Malachite

Museum Quality, Italian Pietra Dura, Semi-Precious, Still Life Stones Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is an amazing work in semi precious stones in Hardstones or Pietra Dura work. This is a Museum quality work. Framed measures 21 x 24 inches. In back has a partial detail of ston...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Precious Stone

Antique Fine Quality Charcoal Colored Portrait of Gentleman
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Exceptional antique framed portrait of a gentleman in a suit. Features a wooden frame.   
Category

Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paper

Vintage Pair Framed Cut Paper Cameo Silhouette Portraits, U.S., Early 20th C.
Located in Chatham, ON
Vintage pair cut paper cameo silhouette portraits - the hand cut portraits glued down to a cream color background - featuring facing profiles of a young man and woman - fine quality ...
Category

Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

Rare Set of Four Framed Antique Boxing and Sports Collectible Cards
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Four groups of colored paper collectible sports cards mounted on blue paper pierced in the margin for placing in a notebook. Now mounted on off white card and custom framed. The cards include images of boxers Al Kaufman, Mike Sullivan, Gans and Nelson and many others. Along with images of track and field and swim athletes. Some faded black printed faded paper ones with portraits of boxers e.g Jack...
Category

Early 20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Paper

Rare Antique Neoclassical Carved Wood Bas Low Relief Homer Harry Bates Plaque
Located in Dayton, OH
Rare antique carved wood reproduction of a clay relief sculpture by Harry Bates, depicting the Greek poet Homer, playing the lyre for two Muses. “The famed...
Category

Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Hardwood

Antique Dance of Apollo w Muses Original Oil Painting After Baldassare Peruzzi
Located in Dayton, OH
A large antique original oil painting re-imagining “The Dance of Apollo with the Muses” by Baldassare Peruzzi. “Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (7 March 1481 – 6 January 1536) was an Ital...
Category

Early 20th Century Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Paint, Fabric

1900s French Bronze Medallions
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of four. Dore bronze. Profiles are bisque on velvet. Finely chased details. Possibly 19th century.
Category

Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Bronze

Sumptuous Large Original William Foster Still Life Painting of a Banquet Table
By William Frederick Foster
Located in Tustin, CA
Sumptuous, very large, original oil on canvas board, still life painting depicting a banquet table. This painting is a virtuoso display of how artist William Frederick Foster (1883-1953) captures texture in paint. You can see this in the mouth watering fruit, crustacea and other samplings laid upon the table as well as the masterfully painted reflective surfaces of the copper tea pot, wine bottle and the gathered table cloth. Painting is framed in the original wood frame. Painting framed measures 34.5” high x 46” wide x 1.5” deep. Painting unframed measures 30.5” high x 42.5” wide. William Foster was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883. He became a noted figure painter and illustrator, living the last twenty-one years of his career in Los Angeles, California. At age 12, he moved with his family to Colorado, but in 1898, he returned to Cincinnati and enrolled at the Art Academy where he studied with Joseph Henry Sharp and Frank Duveneck. His early ambition was to be a violinist, but he was re-focused on fine art when he saw a painting by Albert Ceck Wenzell. In 1902, he went to New York City where he painted scenery for theaters, auditoriums, and large department stores. He also studied at the New York School with Robert Henri and William Merritt Chase, and from 1903 to 1931, he worked as an illustrator and with a brief teaching stint in 1919 at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1903, he sold his first illustration, a depiction of high society, to Life magazine, and the style was very similar to Wenzell. From that time, he worked for most of the major magazines including Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post and Harper's Monthly. In 1926, he won the National Academy of Design's Thomas B. Clarke Prize for the best figure composition painted in the United States by a non-academician. The following year, he was voted an Associate Member based on his recognition for a figure work titled The Girl in Brown. During World War I, he operated his own ambulance in France as a member of the American Volunteer Motor Ambulance Corps and also received mention as a camoufleur artist. Returning to the U.S., he resumed his illustration work and moved to Chicago, where he taught at the Art Institute. Foster moved to Los Angeles in 1932 and devoted his energy to painting, exhibiting and teaching. He taught at the Chouinard School of Art in Los Angeles and gave private classes in his studio. He also worked on a mural project at the Hearst estate...
Category

Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Masonite

Pair of Large Neoclassical Grisaille Paintings after Thorvaldsen Reliefs, 1920
Located in Rome, IT
Early 20th century Italian Grisaille paintings, oil on wood after a famous Thorvaldsen reliefs. Mythological scene with a finely carved and gilt- wood frame. - Cupid complains to V...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Decorative Art

Edgar Brandt Inspired Wrought Iron Screen or Room Divider
Located in Houston, TX
Edgar Brandt inspired wrought iron screen or room divider. Fabulous one of a kind antique Neoclassical style three-panel hand forged heavy weight wrought iron screen or room divider,...
Category

1920s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Art

Materials

Wrought Iron

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Antique Trout Fishing Prints, Set of Three Photogravures.
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Vintage Warhol Basquiat Boxing Cover 'Brutus'
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Pair of Early 20th Century Japanese Costume Portraits Painted on Silk
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Fine Italian Pietra Dura Inlaid Gemstone Plaque W/ Capital Building
Located in Atlanta, GA
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Beautiful Black Forest Frame Antique Folk Art with Jesus Child Picture, 1890s
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Florentine Lapiz Lazuli & Malachite Pietra Dura Plaque
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Original Midcentury Still Life Oil Painting
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
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Early 20th Century Framed French Antique Clock Face
Located in Troy, MI
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Pair of Antique French Carved Pine Panels
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Pair of Antique French Carved Pine Panels
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H 46.25 in W 23.5 in D 1.5 in
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Located in Dayton, OH
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Set of 12 Antique French Interior Decor Prints
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H 15.75 in W 20.48 in D 0.79 in
Pair of Currier & Ives Hand Colored Lithographs
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Museum Quality Gilt Gesso Frame with Embossed Designs
Located in Redding, CT
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Located in Stamford, CT
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Located in Philadelphia, PA
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Early 20th Century Horse Parade Bells on Leather Strap, 50 Brass Bells
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A set of horse bells, 50 hand-cast brass tapered, heavy, globe bells on a 6 foot long or 72 inch leather strap, circa early 20th century. A popular form ...
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Royal College of Art Edouard Lanteri, Enrico Cantoni, Chapman Hall Plaster Cast
Located in Lowestoft, GB
Here we have a plaster cast likely to have been produced by Edouard Lanteri from around the turn of the century. Edouard Lanteri was born in France but became a British citizen a...
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Plaster

Neoclassical decorative art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Neoclassical decorative art for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage decorative art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, porcelain and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Neoclassical decorative art made in a specific country, there are England, Europe, and United Kingdom pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative art, popular names associated with this style include François Boucher, John James Audubon, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, and Sir William Hamilton. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for decorative art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,875 and tops out at $2,500 while the average work can sell for $2,188.

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