Sofa, in Chippendale Drawings, Vol. I
Medium
Pen and brown and black ink, brush and gray wash
Dimensions
sheet: 8 3/4 x 13 11/16 in. (22.2 x 34.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1920
Accession Number
20.40.1(9)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 18th-century British design with Thomas Chippendale's *Sofa, in Chippendale Drawings, Vol. I* (1760). Chippendale, one of England's most celebrated cabinetmakers, created this intricate drawing as part of his influential pattern book, *The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director*. Published in editions from 1754 onward, these volumes served as essential guides for craftsmen across Britain and the American colonies, disseminating Chippendale's signature Rococo style—characterized by playful curves, ornate carving, and whimsical motifs like birds and frolicking chil...
About the Artist
Thomas Chippendale · 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...