Bed, in Chippendale Drawings, Vol. I
Medium
Black ink, gray wash
Dimensions
sheet: 8 15/16 x 12 5/8 in. (22.7 x 32.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1920
Accession Number
20.40.1(37)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing of an elaborate bed, created by Thomas Chippendale in 1753, offers a fascinating glimpse into 18th-century furniture design. As one of the most influential cabinet-makers of his time, Chippendale produced these studies as part of his renowned pattern books, which helped popularize the ornate Chippendale style across Britain and its colonies. The work captures the grandeur of Georgian-era interiors, where beds served not just as functional pieces but as symbols of status and refined taste. Rendered in black ink with subtle gray wash, the drawing demonstrates Chippendale’s...
About the Artist
Thomas Chippendale · 1718–1779
Thomas Chippendale, baptized on June 5, 1718, in Otley, Yorkshire, was born into a family steeped in woodworking traditions, the only child of joiner John Chippendale and Mary Drake. His father likely provided his initial hands-on training in cabinetmaking, supplemented by time in the workshop of York joiner Richard Wood, before Chippendale relocated to London around 1749. He married Catherine Red...