Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
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.
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Maple
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Brass, Iron
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut, Burl
20th Century Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Iron
2010s American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Brass
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Fruitwood
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut, Burl
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Gold, Bronze
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Metal
20th Century American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Fruitwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Fabric, Giltwood
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
1820s American Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Birdseye Maple
18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Maple, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Fruitwood, Pine, Paint
18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
20th Century Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Iron
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
19th Century Caribbean Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany, Poplar
20th Century American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Leather
2010s French Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Cherry, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Metal, Brass
2010s American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Rush, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
2010s French Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Cherry, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
2010s Italian Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Iron
19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Beds and Bed Frames
Fabric, Wood