Side chair (one of a set of fourteen)
ca. 1772
Medium
Mahogany, covered in modern red morocco leather
Dimensions
Overall (each): 38 1/4 × 22 × 22 1/2 in. (97.2 × 55.9 × 57.2 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace and The Annenberg Foundation Gifts, Gift of Irwin Untermyer and Fletcher Fund, by exchange, Bruce Dayton Gift, and funds from various donors, 1996
Accession Number
1996.426.1
Art Historical Context
This elegant side chair, one of a rare surviving set of fourteen, exemplifies the masterful collaboration between renowned British cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale architect-designer Robert Adam around 1772. Crafted the height of the Georgian era, it reflects the neoclassical revival sweeping Britain, inspired by ancient Roman and Greek motifs. Chippendale, famous for his intricate furniture designs blending rococo flourish with emerging neoclassicism, likely executed Adam's sophisticated architectural patterns, creating pieces suited for grand country estates or London townhouses. Made from r...
About the Artist
Thomas Chippendale|Robert Adam · 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...