Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
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.
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Marble
1970s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Plaster
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Terracotta
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Clay
1930s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Terracotta
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Silver Plate
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Brass
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Malachite
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Terracotta
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Creamware
Late 18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Wood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Alabaster, Marble
1950s Burmese Vintage Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Marble
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century European Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Terracotta
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Marble
1750s English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Metal
1880s Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Wood
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
1740s English Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Marble
Early 1900s Czech Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Pottery
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Early 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Limestone
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Plaster
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Plaster
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Metal
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Limestone
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Marble