Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
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.
1830s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Gold Leaf
1820s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany, Oak
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Cherry, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1780s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
1820s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
1940s European Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
Late 19th Century Scottish Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
1980s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Stone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Brass
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 20th Century Chinese Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
Early 20th Century Hungarian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Hardwood
Early 20th Century Hungarian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Other
1810s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Paint
1790s German Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1990s Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Rosewood
1850s Hungarian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Walnut, Braid
1870s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1870s French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 18th Century American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
1840s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass