Neoclassical Furniture
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.
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Tôle
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Furniture
Crystal, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron
2010s Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century North American Neoclassical Furniture
Maple, Paint
Early 1900s Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Carrara Marble
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Boxwood, Fruitwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron, Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Wood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Leather, Wicker, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Furniture
Metal
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century North American Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Lead
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Mirror
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Wool
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Satinwood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Other
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Sterling Silver
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Neoclassical Furniture
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron
20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Furniture
Alabaster
1970s European Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Wood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Glass, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Furniture
Wrought Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Furniture
Porcelain, Giltwood