Neoclassical Farm Tables
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 20th Century American Neoclassical Farm Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Farm Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Farm Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Farm Tables
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Elm
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Iron
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Wood
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Elm
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Oak
1990s American Neoclassical Farm Tables
Wood, Glass
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Oak, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Iron
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Oak, Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Stone, Limestone
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Farm Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 1900s European Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Pine
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Wood, Paint
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Neoclassical Farm Tables
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Farm Tables
Pine, Walnut