Side Chair

Maker unknown · New York · ca. 1800

Flat surface decoration, whether through veneers or fancy painting, was a key ornamental element of Neoclassical furniture. Some of the most stylish furniture was painted, as seen in this excellent example. The vocabulary of Neoclassical ornament includes the fluted urn with swags at the center of the back and the bellflowers trailing down the front legs and the stiles.

Medium

Painted black ash (stiles and front legs); cherry (back rails, seat rails, and medial braces); white pine (corner blocks); modern upholstery

Dimensions

34.9 x 14.1 x 16.9 in. (88.7 x 35.7 x 42.9 cm) · max. W 18.7 in. (47.6 cm)

Accession

1930.2724

Credit line

Mabel Brady Garvan Collection