Side Chair
1815–20
Medium
Maple, painted and gilded, cane
Dimensions
34 x 20 5/8 x 22 1/4 in. (86.4 x 52.4 x 56.5 cm)
Classification
Side Chair
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mrs. Paul Moore Gift, 1965
Accession Number
65.167.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant side chair, crafted by Scottish-born cabinetmakers John Finlay and his son Hugh between 1815 and 1820, exemplifies the "fancy chair" tradition in early American furniture. Working in Philadelphia during the Federal period—a time of national optimism and neoclassical revival—the Finlays specialized in affordable yet luxurious seating that drew inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman motifs. Produced in their workshop, this chair reflects the growing American taste for ornamented domestic furnishings amid post-War of 1812 prosperity. Fashioned from maple—a sturdy, fine-grained woo...
About the Artist
John Finlay|Hugh Finlay (American| ) · 1797 |1796 –1837 |1833
active ca. 1800–37|active ca. 1799–1833