Neoclassical Sundials
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 20th Century American Neoclassical Sundials
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Sundials
Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Sundials
Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Steel
1980s Vintage Neoclassical Sundials
Concrete, Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Sandstone
Mid-19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Cast Stone
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Linen, Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Sundials
Marble, Iron
Mid-18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Sundials
Stone, Metal, Copper
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Sandstone, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Plaster
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Steel, Iron
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Limestone
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Sundials
Iron
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Stone
1940s European Vintage Neoclassical Sundials
Copper, Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Sundials
Metal
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Sundials
Iron
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Sundials
Stone, Concrete, Metal
1940s Vintage Neoclassical Sundials
Cast Stone, Iron
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Sundials
Stone, Limestone, Bronze
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Sundials
Brass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Sundials
Sandstone, Bronze
20th Century American Neoclassical Sundials
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Slate
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Sundials
Stone
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Sundials
Sandstone