Side Chair
c. 1740
Medium
Walnut and 18th-century replacement upholstery
Dimensions
97.8 × 56.6 × 54.7 cm (38 1/2 × 22 1/4 × 21 1/2 in.)
Classification
chair
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
100712
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
A taste for new and stylish furnishings inspired by continental fashion played a prominent role in the evolution of design in 18th-century Britain. The growing wealth of aristocrats, as well as of an ever-expanding middle class attracted a growing number of British and foreign craftsmen to London. One of the largest and busiest cabinetmaking firms in the city was that of Giles Grendey. In operation from 1716 to 1766, Grendy’s workshop catered both to a domestic clientele as well as an export mar...