America
designed ca. 1786, woven 1790–91; settee frame second half 19th century
Medium
Carved and gilded wood; wool, silk
Dimensions
Overall: 42 1/4 × 75 3/8 × 28 in. (107.3 × 191.5 × 71.1 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture|Textiles-Tapestries
Culture
French, Beauvais
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Claus von Bülow Gift, 1978
Accession Number
1978.404.5a–c
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of late 18th-century France with *America*, a magnificent settee that blends masterful tapestry weaving with ornate furniture design. Designed around 1786 by artists including Jean-Jacques François Le Barbier and commissioned by Louis XVI, this piece was woven at the renowned Beauvais manufactory between 1790 and 1791. Its carved and gilded wood frame, added in the second half of the 19th century, supports a vibrant wool-and-silk tapestry upholstery measuring an impressive 42¼ × 75⅜ × 28 inches. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and D...
About the Artist
de Menou|Beauvais|Jean Jacques François Le Barbier|Louis XVI, King of France ( |French|French) · |1739 |1780 – |1821 |1793
|French, Paris 1739–1821 Paris|French, active 1780–93