The Gentleman's and Cabinet-Maker's Director
Classification
furniture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-450-12
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 18th-century British design with *The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's*, a seminal work by Thomas Chippend (1718–1779), the preeminent furniture maker of his era. Published in 1755, this influential volume—housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection acquired through the Advisory Council. Classified within furniture design, it exemplifies Chippendale's mastery in blending Rococo exuberance, Chinese motifs, and Gothic elements into the iconic "Chippendale style" that defined Georgian interiors. As the first comprehensive trade catalog of its kind in En...