Neoclassical Photography
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.
1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Photography
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1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Photography
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1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Photography
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21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Photography
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1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Photography
Glass, Hardwood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Photography
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Early 2000s American Neoclassical Photography
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2010s American Neoclassical Photography
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19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Photography
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Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Photography
Aluminum
2010s North American Neoclassical Photography
Burl, Paper
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Photography
Photographic Paper
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Photography
Leather, Paper
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Photography
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Photography
Faux Leather, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Photography
Other
1930s French Vintage Neoclassical Photography
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1960s American Vintage Neoclassical Photography
1990s Neoclassical Photography
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1930s British Vintage Neoclassical Photography
Paper, Wood
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Photography
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21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Photography
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1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Photography
Brass
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Photography
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Photography
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20th Century American Neoclassical Photography
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Early 2000s American Neoclassical Photography
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Photography
Paper
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Photography
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Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Photography
Paper
20th Century American Neoclassical Photography
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20th Century American Neoclassical Photography
Paper
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Photography
Glass, Wood, Paper
2010s Neoclassical Photography
Glass, Wood, Paper