Frets, from Chippendale Drawings, Vol. II
Medium
Black ink, gray wash
Dimensions
sheet: 8 7/16 x 9 3/4 in. (21.4 x 24.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1920
Accession Number
20.40.2(99)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Thomas Chippendale, the renowned 18th-century furniture designer, created *Frets, from Chippendale Drawings Vol. II* in1754, a pivotal year marking the publication of his influential pattern book, *The Gentleman and Cabinet-M's Director*. This delicate drawing exemplifies the ornamental designs that defined Chippendale's signature, blending Rococo exuberance with Gothic and Chinese influences. Frets—intricate, repeating geometric motifs—were essential decorative elements in Georgian furniture, often adorning chair backs, cabinet fronts, and architectural panels, symbolizing the era's fascinati...
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...