Upholstered armchair, originally from a set of eight, from Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland (one of a pair)
ca. 1689
Medium
Ebonized beechwood, Genoese velvet covers original to the chair
Dimensions
Overall: 48 × 28 × 32 in. (121.9 × 71.1 × 81.3 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Gift of Irwin Untermyer, by exchange, and Bequests of Bernard M. Baruch, Ruth Mabee Lachman Greenleaf, and Irwin Untermyer, by exchange, 1998
Accession Number
1998.297.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of late 17th-century British aristocracy with this exquisite upholstered armchair, crafted around 1689 by Thomas Roberts. Originally part of a grand set of eight from Burley-on-the-Hill, a stately manor in Rutland, England, this piece—surviving as one of a matching pair—evokes the lavish interiors of the post-Restoration era. Burley-on-the-Hill, rebuilt during this time, was home to the Finch family, reflecting the era's blend of opulence and political upheaval following the Glorious Revolution. Masterfully made from ebonized beechwood—a technique staining light wo...