Sketches of Furniture
Classification
furniture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Arnold W. Brunner
Accession Number
1948-47-114
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Sketches of Furniture** by Arnold William Brunner captures the creative spark of an emerging American designer in 1883. Born in 1857, Brunner was a prominent architect whose early career bridged the Gilded Age's opulent tastes and the rising Aesthetic Movement. At just 26, he produced these sketches—likely preparatory drawings for custom furniture—reflecting the era's fascination with ornate, functional home furnishings amid rapid industrialization and urban growth. Classified within the Smithsonian American Art Museum's furniture collection, they offer a window into the design process that ...