Design for a Standing Frame
1841–84
Medium
Brush and brown ink wash over graphite
Dimensions
sheet: 10 7/8 x 9 9/16 in. (27.7 x 24.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.38.82
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate design drawing, titled *Design for a Standing Frame by the esteemed London firm Charles Hindley and, dates to the Victorian era (1841–84). Hindley & Sons were renowned cabinetmakers and upholers, crafting luxurious furniture for Britain's elite. Created as a preparatory sketch for a freestanding picture or mirror frame, it exemplifies the ornate architectural ornamentation favored in 19th-century interiors, where elaborate frames elevated everyday objects into statements of status and taste. Executed in brush and brown ink wash over graphite on a modest 10 7/8 x 9 9/16-inch shee...
About the Artist
Charles Hindley and Sons · 1841–1917
**Charles Hindley and Sons: Victorian Masters of Furnishing Design** Charles Hindley and Sons was a premier British cabinet-making and upholstery firm based in London, operating primarily from 134 Oxford Street. Established around 1820 by Charles Hugh Hindley, a furniture maker and upholsterer initially on Berners Street, the firm expanded significantly in 1844 by acquiring the rival establishmen...