Neoclassical Sofa Tables
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Carrara Marble, Brass
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Marble
1980s French Vintage Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Mahogany, Giltwood
1980s American Vintage Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Oak, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Onyx, Brass
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood, Paper, Glass
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Steel, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Breccia Marble
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Giltwood, Mahogany
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Marble
1890s American Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Ormolu
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Marble
20th Century American Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Marble, Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Giltwood
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Mirror, Wood
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Neoclassical Sofa Tables
Walnut