A9: Massachusetts Parlor, 1818
c. 1940
Medium
Miniature room, mixed media
Dimensions
Scale 1 inch = 1 foot: 27.9 × 61.9 × 40 cm (11 × 24 3/8 × 15 3/4 in.); Interior, Scale 1 inch = 1 foot: 28.3 × 62.9 × 40.7 cm (11 1/8 × 24 3/4 × 16 in.)
Classification
miniature
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
45339
Art Historical Context
Narcissa Niblack Thorne’s *Massachusetts Parlor, 1818* offers a captivating glimpse into early nineteenth-century American domestic life. Created around 1940 as part of her renowned series of miniature interiors, the room captures the refined elegance of a Federal-style parlor in precise 1:12 scale. Every element—from the delicate woodwork and period-appropriate furnishings to the carefully arranged textiles—reflects the social customs and aesthetic tastes of the era, when such spaces served as centers for family gatherings and polite conversation. Thorne, working in mixed media, employed ext...
About the Artist
Narcissa Niblack Thorne · 1882–1966
Narcissa Niblack Thorne (1882–1966) was born on May 2 in Vincennes, Indiana, the eldest child of William Niblack and Frances Caldwell Niblack. Her family relocated to Chicago during her childhood, where she received a patchwork education: homeschooled by a governess, public schooling from age eleven, private classes, and finishing at the elite Kenwood Institute in Hyde Park. Extensive family trave...