Bookcase
c. 1750
Medium
Mahogany, brass, ivory, and glass
Dimensions
269.2 × 218.4 cm (106 × 86 in.)
Classification
case furniture
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
65384
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This imposing bookcase is one of a set of four designed for Rokeby Park in County Durham, England. Rokeby was the home of Sir Thomas Robinson, an amateur architect, and the form of these bookcases relates directly to designs that he drew up himself. Rokeby Park was built in 1725–30 and further decorated around the middle of the 18th century, but it literally rests on ancient history, as the land was once the site of a Roman encampment. The house is in the Palladian tradition: it was influenced ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...