Neoclassical Shelves and Wall 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.
20th Century European Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Composition
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood, Paint
Late 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Marble
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Sandstone
20th Century Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Iron
18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood
2010s French Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Oak
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Metal, Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood
20th Century Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Wood
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Gold Leaf
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Gesso, Glass, Giltwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Upholstery, Glass, Wood, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood
2010s Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Resin
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Marble, Metal
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Oak
2010s Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Marble
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Chrome
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Walnut
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Metal
1950s Danish Vintage Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Oak
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Wood, Paint
20th Century French Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Terracotta
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Walnut
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Glass, Oak, Paint
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Giltwood