Design for Three Reclined Reading Sofas with Trays, on Casters, Upholstered in Green and Red
early 19th century
Medium
Pen and ink, brush and wash, watercolor
Dimensions
sheet: 8 11/16 x 12 3/16 in. (22 x 31 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1938
Accession Number
38.37.103
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing from early 19th-century Britain a visionary design for three reclined sofas, each equipped with convenient trays for books or tea, mounted on casters for easy mobility, and upholster in vibrant green and red. Created anonymously during the Regency era, when comfort and domestic leisure were gaining prominence amid industrialization, it reflects the era's fascination with multifunctional furniture that blended elegance with practicality—perfect for the genteel reader lounging in a drawing room. Rendered in pen and ink with brush and wash watercolor on a modest 8 11/16 x 1...