Neoclassical Pitchers
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.
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Pitchers
Sterling Silver
1920s American Vintage Neoclassical Pitchers
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Pitchers
Stoneware
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver, Sterling Silver
1920s English Vintage Neoclassical Pitchers
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Stoneware
20th Century English Neoclassical Pitchers
Pottery
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Stoneware, Pottery
Early 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Earthenware
20th Century Japanese Neoclassical Pitchers
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver
1830s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Pitchers
Brass, Copper
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic, Pottery
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver Plate, Copper
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ironstone
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
1890s American Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Glass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Pitchers
Glass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Brass, Bronze, Copper, Tin
19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic, Stoneware
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Stoneware
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Delft, Faience
Mid-20th Century British Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
1930s American Vintage Neoclassical Pitchers
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Pitchers
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
Early 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Earthenware
20th Century French Neoclassical Pitchers
Crystal
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Glass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Majolica
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Sterling Silver
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic
1950s American Vintage Neoclassical Pitchers
Sterling Silver
Early 1800s French Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Silver
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Pitchers
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Pitchers
Nickel
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Pitchers
Copper