Neoclassical Shelves
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.
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Fruitwood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Shelves
Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves
Brass, Steel
20th Century European Neoclassical Shelves
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves
Brass, Wrought Iron
20th Century Neoclassical Shelves
Wood
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Metal, Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves
Metal, Brass, Bronze
2010s American Neoclassical Shelves
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Shelves
Wood
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Shelves
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Shelves
Walnut
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Bentwood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Pine
2010s Italian Neoclassical Shelves
Gold Leaf
20th Century German Neoclassical Shelves
Mahogany, Maple, Softwood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Fruitwood
1810s European Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Pine
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Shelves
Wrought Iron
1940s Vintage Neoclassical Shelves
Pine
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves
Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Shelves
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Shelves
Mahogany, Mirror
20th Century American Neoclassical Shelves
Hardwood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Shelves
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary North American Neoclassical Shelves
Paint