Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
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 English Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Marble, Siena Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
1830s Belgian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Walnut
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Hardwood
1780s Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Walnut
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Tin
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary European Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Plaster
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Fruitwood
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Hardwood
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Giltwood, Lacquer, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Israeli Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Stone, Cast Stone, Cement
21st Century and Contemporary Moldovan Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Ash
21st Century and Contemporary Moldovan Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Ash
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood, Giltwood
Early 1900s Greek Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Terracotta
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Plaster
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Brass
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Plaster
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood, Walnut
1940s North American Vintage Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Statuary Marble, Carrara Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Steel
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Plaster, Paint
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Plaster
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wire
20th Century American Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Plaster
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Plaster, Paint
1850s European Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Metal
1870s Danish Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Other
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
20th Century European Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Other
1980s North American Vintage Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Plaster
1850s French Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
1780s Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Zinc
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Iron
1870s Danish Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Marble
1820s English Antique Neoclassical Wall-mounted Sculptures
Metal