Armchair
Unknown Artist
ca. 1790
Medium
Beechwood, painted white and gilt
Dimensions
Overall: 38 1/2 × 23 1/2 × 20 in. (97.8 × 59.7 × 50.8 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, John L. Cadwalader Bequest, Rogers and John Stewart Kennedy Funds, by exchange,1928
Accession Number
28.206.2
Art Historical Context
This elegant armchair, crafted around 1790 in Britain, exemplifies the refined taste of the late Georgian era. Made from beechwood—a durable and workable hardwood popular for furniture—the chair features a delicate white paint finish accented with gilt detailing, creating a light, aesthetic that evoked the neoclassical revival sweeping Europe. Its compact dimensions (38½ × 23½ × 20 inches) it was designed for intimate drawing rooms or formal parlors, where comfort met sophistication. The painted and gilded surface reflects innovative techniques of the period, where artisans mimicked the opule...