Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
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.
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Cherry
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Wool, Paint
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Glass, Hardwood, Paint
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Cherry
1870s French Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Poplar
19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Wood, Paint
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Elm, Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Satinwood, Sycamore, Harewood
1780s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Mahogany, Oak
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Marble
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Satinwood
Early 1900s European Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Other
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Mahogany
20th Century English Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Hardwood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Iron
1960s Dutch Vintage Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Teak
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Wood, Pine, Paint
20th Century English Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Bamboo
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Walnut
1820s Dutch Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Pine
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Maple
Early 1800s English Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Fruitwood, Mahogany, Rosewood, Satinwood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Pine
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Wood
Late 18th Century North American Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Pine
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Softwood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Pine
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Corner Cupboards
Oak