Neoclassical Racks and Stands
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 Racks and Stands
Brass
1930s Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass, Stainless Steel
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass, Wrought Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass, Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass, Iron, Zinc
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass, Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Metal, Gold Plate, Brass
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Terracotta
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass, Iron, Zinc
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Metal
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Terracotta
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Leather, Upholstery, Hardwood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
20th Century European Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Hardwood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Bronze
Mid-20th Century North American Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Metal
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Marble, Brass
1780s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Oak, Rosewood
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Wicker, Hardwood
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Aluminum
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Wrought Iron
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1960s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Bamboo, Rattan
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Metal, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Bronze
1830s English Antique Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Steel
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Racks and Stands
Oak