Drawing Room Cabinet
1871/72
Medium
Walnut, ebony, boxwood, thuya, maple, and other woods, gilding, and lacquered brass mounts
Dimensions
148.6 × 166.4 × 52.1 cm (58 1/2 × 65 1/2 × 20 1/2 in.)
Classification
case furniture
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
120412
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This drawing-room cabinet was conceived by Bruce James Talbert, a prolific designer in Victorian Britain who drew inspiration from such widely divergent sources as Gothic architecture and Japanese art. Like many of his colleagues in the second half of the 19th century, Talbert often wrestled with how to foster fine design and craftsmanship in the face of increasing industrialization and mechanization. He simplified and popularized the Gothic style first advocated by Augustus Pugin earlier in the...