Neoclassical Paintings
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.
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Paintings
Acrylic
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Paintings
Paint, Fabric
1840s Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Other
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
1840s American Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Paper
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint
1870s American Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
Late 18th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
Early 20th Century Hungarian Neoclassical Paintings
Paint, Wood, Giltwood
20th Century American Neoclassical Paintings
18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Paint
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Paper
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Paper, Gouache
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Paint
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Paintings
Acrylic
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Paintings
Acrylic
Late 17th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
20th Century American Neoclassical Paintings
Paint
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Giltwood, Paint
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Early 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Paint
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Paintings
Wood
19th Century North American Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Danish Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Paint, Canvas, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint
20th Century American Neoclassical Paintings
Paint, Fabric
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Paintings
Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint
1870s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Glass
20th Century American Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas
1850s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Other
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Paintings
Canvas