Side Chair

Art Historical Context

This elegant side chair, crafted around 1848 from rich rosewood, exemplifies mid-19th-century American ingenuity. Attributed to architect Alexander Jackson Davis in collaboration with cabinetmakers Burns and Trainque, it Davis's influence in blending architecture with furniture. Rosewood, an imported tropical hardwood prized for its durability and lustrous grain, was a luxurious choice that elevated everyday objects into statements of refinement, often seen in affluent American homes of the era. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, the chair (measuring 42 x 18½ x 21½ inches) captures the Rococo Revival style popular in the 1840s and 1850s. This movement drew from 18th-century French ornamentation, featuring flowing curves and intricate carvings that evoked nature and whimsy. Davis, a leading figure in American architecture known for Gothic Revival buildings, extended his vision to interiors, commissioning pieces like this to harmonize with grand domestic spaces. Acquired through the Sansbury-Mills Fund in 1979, this chair offers a tangible glimpse into antebellum American culture—where craftsmanship met aspiration. Visitors can appreciate how such furniture furnished the parlors of the emerging middle and upper classes, symbolizing taste, status, and the nation's growing design sophistication.

About the Artist

Alexander Jackson Davis|Burns and Trainque · 1803–1892

Alexander Jackson Davis (1803–1892) was a pioneering American architect whose imaginative designs helped define the nation's picturesque country house tradition. Born in New York City on July 24, 1803, Davis received an informal education, studying drawing at the American Academy of the Fine Arts, the New-York Drawing Association, and the antique casts at the National Academy of Design. He apprent...