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Chest of drawers in mannerist style
red and white oak, sycamore
attributed to Thomas Dennis, Ipswich
inscribed 1678
The Seventeenth-Century style reflects the transmission into the New World of late medieval and Renaissance traditions by immigrant craftsmen. Furniture in this style is frequently made of straight oak members joined at right angles. It is sturdy and massive, with low, horizontal proportions. Since the outlines tend to be rigidly rectilinear, craftsmen imparted visual interest through abundant surface ornamentation in the form of low-relief carving, applied moldings and turnings, and paint. There were two branches of the furniture-making trade during the seventeenth century: joiners, who "joined" together straight wood that had been shaped with axes and saws and smoothed with planes; and turners, who shaped wood with chisels and gouges while it spun, or turned, on a lathe. Thomas Dennis (1638–1706) came from Devonshire, England, where a tradition of florid carving, using many of the motifs seen on this chest, flourished in the early seventeenth century. The hours to construct this chest would have made it costly. |
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High chest of drawers, Japanned (lacquered)
maple, pine, and other woods, with brass hardware
1700-30
Boston
The 1660 restoration of Charles II, who had been in exile in France, brought to England a new design sensibility based on the court fashions of Louis XIV. Known as the early Baroque, this style combined Continental and Asian influences in furniture forms that were at once richer and more curvilinear, with more vertical proportions. A new form introduced in the 1690s, the early Baroque high chest of drawers was a stylish addition to the colonial home. High chests were used for the storage of textiles and clothing, and were often made en suite with a matching dressing table. On this example, the scalloped skirt, curved stretchers, and six turned legs bring lightness and movement to the form. The large, smooth surfaces of the drawer fronts of the upper and lower cases were achieved by abandoning the panel-and-frame tradition in favor of dovetailed-board construction. The surface of this chest is japanned, a technique developed in the West to imitate Asian lacquerwork through the use of paint, a result of exotic influence of trade with Asian countries. |
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Pair of tea caddies or cannisters
1790-91
Silver
John Scofield
To own silver was considered an indicator of wealth and social position in 18th century America. The light slicing and pushing-in of the surface of these tea cannisters, a technique called bright cutting, was a new type of decoration appropriate for the thinner-walled silver used at the end of the eighteenth century. The two bands of repeating ornament found on the base and top of the caddy are lightly suggestive of Neoclassical motifs, with just a hint of the flower motifs found on Roman architecture. It shows early classical-revival taste, marked by a focus on simplicity, symmetry, order and restrained use of ornament. Surfaces are smooth, proportions are delicate, and shallow, curved lines abound. The maker, John Scofield, was a prominent and busy goldsmith during the last quarter of the eighteenth century. |
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Side chair
New England
1730-90
Walnut, cherry
"Crooked" or S-curved chair backs, which conformed to the shape of the sitter's spine, first appeared in Boston in the 1720s. This feature was borrowed from Asian designs and reflected a growing concern for comfort in the period. In the 1730s, New England makers developed a distinctive Queen Anne–style side chair that featured a yoke-shaped crest rail, vase-shaped splat, turned stretchers, S-curved cabriole legs and pad feet. Typical of the Queen Anne style, the emphasis is on overall form rather than surface ornamentation. Boston makers exported thousands of these sturdy, elegant, and comfortable chairs to cities along the Atlantic coast. |
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Side Chair
Philadelphia
1740-60
Walnut, yellow pine
Boston makers produced thousands of Queen Anne-style chairs for export and sold them to other colonies as part of the inter-coastal trade. In Philadelphia, craftsmen responded to competition from Boston imports by developing distinctive seating forms with more elaborately curved lines. For instance, note the rounded, S-curved stiles and "balloon," or horseshoe-shaped, seat frame. The carved shells, scrolled volutes, and trifid (three-toed) feet are further hallmarks of the Philadelphia school. Revealing the Late Baroque emphasis on negative space and light, the solid splat and the flanking stiles were carefully designed so as to produce a gracefully curved void between them. Stretchers were rarely used in Philadelphia chairs. |
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Chest of drawers
Philadelphia
1755-90
mahogany, tulip poplar, yellow pine
Case furniture in the Late Baroque style became more architectural, with proportions and ornament derived from Renaissance precedents. New translations of Andrea Palladio's Four Books of Architecture (1570) provided craftsmen with formulas for determining proper proportions while offering a range of classically inspired ornament. By the 1730s Boston makers were incorporating cabriole legs and broken-scroll pediments into high chests of drawers. This standard Boston form was adapted and refined elsewhere in the colonies. Immigrant craftsmen in Philadelphia produced the most elaborate and richly carved of all colonial American furniture. This high chest demonstrates how Philadelphia artisans updated traditional Baroque forms by adding carved Rococo-style ornament, influenced by Chippendale’s Rococo designs in The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director (1754). |
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Chest of Drawers
Boston
1747
Maple, white pine
During the second quarter of the eighteenth century William and Mary style was subdued in favor of gracefully curved outlines, classical proportions, and restrained surface ornamentation. This new style, variously called late Baroque, early Georgian, or Queen Anne, was a blend of several influences, including Baroque, classical, and Asian. One notable exception to the subdued ornamentation of Queen Anne–style furniture is japanning, a technique developed in the West to imitate Asian lacquerwork through the use of paint. In Boston and New York, late Baroque forms were painted with fantastical scenes of the Far East known as "chinoiserie.” On this high chest, the tortoiseshell background was created by streaking lampblack over a vermillion ground. The raised figures and landscapes were built up with gesso (a chalklike substance) and gilded. Few pieces of eighteenth-century American japanned furniture have survived with their surface intact. |
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Side Chair, 1765-75
Mahogany, yellow pine
Made in Philadelphia
This chair is an example for the transition from the late Baroque style to that of the Rococo.
The claw- and- ball foot design was prevalent in the late baroque period, and is influenced by Chinese design and oriental motifs. The ornamental pierced back splat, on the other hand, is characteristic to the Rococo, and is influenced by gothic style of Chippendale’s Gentlemen and Cabinetmakers Director.
In addition, the use of mahogany and pine is typical to Pennsylvania and is an example to its regional style. |
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Thomas Chippendale- London based cabinetmaker 1717-1779.
Published his influential guide for the making of household furniture in 175, based on Palladio’s classic principles of design. The chair from the previous slide is an excellent example that show how extensive his influence was; so much so that it is often very hard to distinguish pieces that were made in his shop from these who were made around the world using his guide. The combination of curved line for legs, with rectilinear lines for seats, in addition to pierced ornamented splat is very typical.
Other typical motifs are claw-and-ball foot, elaborately carved elements, yoke-shaped top rails with upturned ends for chairs, gothic arches, flora and trefoils, upholstered seats with straight lines. |
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Desk and bookcase, c.1765,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, attributed to Thomas Affleck
Affleck was a prominent Philadelphia resident and cabinetmaker, who was specialized in the production of Chippendale style furniture.
The short legs of the cabinet are an example for the departure from the Queen Ann style of the first half of the 18th century. In addition the style is almost architectural, with classical proportions and column-style lines, probably showing the Palladio -style influence via Chippendale’s guide.
The very clean and classic lines of this cabinet, although quite early in the century, are foreshadowing the Neoclassical style that will take over around the western world after the French Revolution. |
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Kraak- Early 17th century Porcelain, c.1610
Kraak is a type of Chinese export Porcelain which was among the first Chinese export ware to arrive in Europe in mass quantities, and was frequently featured in Dutch still life painting. It often features a combination of western and far-eastern motifs in blue and white. The Chinese makers identified the desire of “Oriental” goods in Western European countries and created these designs especially for them is attempt to satisfy, and cater to, their taste-level.
Chinese porcelain was extremely expensive and fashionable, it was often displayed in clusters on fireplaces, tables and cabinets.
Later in the century English and Dutch makers were able to create an imitation blue-and-white Chinese “porcelain,” which was less expensive but valued all the same. The tin-glazed ceramic they created is known as delftware, and it often features oriental motifs, sometime in white and blue. Pictorial plates were made in abundance, illustrated with religious motifs, native Dutch scenes with windmills and fishing boats, hunting scenes, landscapes and seascapes. It is interesting to note that by the beginning of the 18th century delftware was regarded that it was exported to China and Japan, resulting in porcelain versions of delftware that were then imported back to Europe. |
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Tea set of creamware, with purple enamel transfer print. C. 1775
Made in Etruria, England by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, Decorated in Liverpool, England by Guy Green (1729-1803)
During the Neoclassical period the name Wedgwood became synonymous with not only depiction of Neoclassical scenes and elements, but also with certain shades of pastel colors- including light, smoky blue, green and yellow. Wedgwood is also known for creating black basalt and Jasperware.
The work of Wedgwood is an example of the change of style, and also of the change in source of inspiration. Other makers of the period were also to re-create ancient and classical-style designs based on ancient objects that were found in archeological excavations. |
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Tea table 1765-75
Philadelphia
Mahogany
The ball-and-claw foot and cabriole legs are characteristic to the late Baroque (also known as Queen Ann period) and the early Rococo periods. This table was probably used to display expensive ceramics, such as tea set with far-eastern motifs. It is an example for the influence of far-eastern, especially Japanese and Chinese, influence on western design.
It is also characteristic to the last Baroque period to have furniture with speiclized function- such as “tea” table, “card” table, etc.
Mahogany is a type of wood often used by Pennsylvania furniture makers, and it is also typical to furniture in the Chippendale style, as it is softer and easier to carve. |
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The interior of the boathouse at Kedleston, a multi-purpose structure that is part fishing temple, part picnic room, part sulphurous and cold plunge pool and part boathouse.
The Kedleston Hall was owned by the Curzon family since the 13th century, but in 1759 it was re-build by Robert Adam, commissioned my Sir Nathaniel Curzon.
It is an example for the influence of Neoclassicism on interior design in England. The pastel, green walls with white decoration are directly influenced by Wedgwood’s Jasperware ceramics, which were so fashionable at the time. |
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Pair of Wedgwood vases, Jasperware, c. 1785-1800
This is an excellent example of the fashionable Jasperware ceramics created by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons. It was achieved dipping the stoneware in color, usually light blue, pastel green or black, and then decorating it by applying white elements. These decorations often depicted classical scenes and design elements.
This is also an example for the well-known shade of “Wedgwood blue.”
The Neoclassical style, so favored by Wedgwood and his contemporaries, influenced not only the design of furniture and household goods, but also of interiors, as is evident from the previous example of Keleston hall. |
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Plate illustrating two parlour chairs (Sheraton)
1793, Thomas Sheraton (English)
Published in “The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book” in 1793
Internationalism in design and the circulation of pattern and design books
Neoclassical/Federal style: slender, graceful proportions based on classical architecture, diameter of column; restraint in form and ornamentation
Sheraton style: square-back, straight reeded legs; rectilinear with crisp edges |
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Side chair (Hepplewhite)
c. 1794, attributed to Samuel McIntire (American, Massachusetts)
Mahogany, ebony, ash, birch, white pine
Hepplewhite published “The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide” in 1788
Neoclassical/Federal style: thin, delicate form; delicate, intricate relief carvings on back splat and front of legs
Hepplewhite style: shield-back or vase-back shape; slightly curved back legs; urn motif at center of back splat; festoon drapery/swags; carved grape clusters at base of back splat |
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Side chair
c. 1810, attributed to Duncan Phyfe (American, New York)
Mahogany, gilded brass with yellow poplar, cherry, ash
“Grecian cross” chair: legs composed of two semi-circles that meet at a center point
Later classical revival/Empire style: pursuit of accuracy to the classics, “pure Greek”; with more and more primary sources of the classics becoming available after excavations, designers seek a more “pure” representation of Greek design; this chair derives its inspiration from the Greek “curule” chair |
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Sideboard (1795-1805, New York) and urn-shaped knife boxes (1790-1800, England)
Mahogany and satinwood veneer, white pine, yellow poplar, and ash
Federal style: delicate, rectilinear forms; geometric shapes (circles, ovals) integrated into the inlay surface design; contrasting veneers and inlay surface decoration
Following the Revolutionary War, there was an increase in wealth, leisure time/activities and as a result we see new forms in furniture that serve specific purposes (e.g. sideboard, sewing table, pier table, etc.)
The dining room became a ritual space and the sideboard served the practical function of service space during the meal, but also was used to display the owner’s wealth through its luxurious design (exotic wood inlays) and its use to showcase expensive objects; sideboard was new and fashionable, and its linear, practical form replaced the out-of-fashion highboy |
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Illustration of a bookcase from the publication “Hints on Household Taste”
[date? c. 1865? didn’t have a date in my notes]
Charles Locke Eastlake (English)
Eastlake published “Hints on Household Taste” in England in 1868, and in America by 1872; the first book serving as a manual for household decoration
Gothic Revival or Modern Gothic style: he proposed emulating Gothic structural techniques in the modern production of furniture and household goods.
Proponent of William Morris/Arts and Crafts ideals of craftsmanship versus industrialization; stressed structural integrity, simplicity, honest use of materials
Reactions against industrialism seen at the Great Exhibition of 1851 spark nostalgia and a romantic view of the (English) past, particularly the Gothic
Three principles proposed after exhibition: (1) decoration is secondary to form, (2) form is dictated by function and the material used, and (3) derive design inspiration from historical English, exotic sources but must be distilled to simple forms and interpretations |
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Desk
c. 1870s, Kimbel & Cabus furniture firm (New York)
Oak, nickel-plated brass, and iron hardware
Modern Gothic style: pointed gables, trestle feet, incised linear decoration, and elaborate strap hinges
Inspired by the design philosophy of British reformer Charles Locke Eastlake; the choice of wood (oak) also aligned with Eastlake’s preference for materials chosen for both appearance and durability/practicality |
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Peacock room
1876-1877, interior design by James McNeill Whistler
Art Nouveau style: influenced by Japanese woodcut prints; diversion away from historicism by designers and artist looking for something “NEW”-veau, something radically different from historic revivals of the past
Whistler was part of the fine art Aesthetic movement, “Art for Art’s Sake;” idea of ideal beauty
Whistler redecorated the room as a “harmony in blue and gold” inspired by the delicate patterns and vivid colors of Chinese porcelains
Japonism = the borrowing of Japanese motifs, principles, and techniques by Western artists; government regulation limited trade from 1633 until 1853; once lifted, major influence in Western design
From the Smithsonian website:
“The Peacock Room, originally designed by architect Thomas Jeckyll, was once the dining room in the London home of Frederick R. Leyland, a wealthy shipowner from Liverpool, England. Although the architect merely asked for advice about what color to paint the shutters and doors, James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) took over and eventually transformed the entire room. Between 1876 and 1877, he enhanced the room with golden peacocks, painting every inch of the ceiling and walls to create an elegant setting in which Leyland could display his blue-and-white porcelain as well as Whistler's painting The Princess from the Land of Porcelain. Purchased by Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) in 1904 and installed in the Freer Gallery of Art after his death, the Peacock Room is on permanent display [at Smithsonian].” |
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Philip Webb designed for William Morris
1861
British Arts and Crafts
In contrast to the progressive approach of the Government Schools of Design, the Arts and Crafts movement rejected modernity and industry. The movement was founded by the socialist William Morris (1834–1896) in an attempt to reclaim the preindustrial spirit of medieval English society. It was rooted in the teachings of the designer August Welby Northmore Pugin (1812–1852) and John Ruskin (1819–1900), perhaps the greatest art critic and theorist of the nineteenth century. Following the ideas that a happy worker made beautiful things regardless of ability, and that good, moral design could only come from a good and moral society, the Arts and Crafts movement (well underway by the 1860s, although its name was not coined until 1888) looked to English sources, specifically medieval English and Celtic traditions, for inspiration. Morris' London retailing firms, Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. and later Morris & Co. (established 1875) sold furnishings made by artist-craftspeople as well as by rural peasantry. Utopian in theory, Morris' intentions were to create affordable, handcrafted goods that reflected the workers' creativity and individuality (qualities not found in industrially produced goods). Ironically, in the end, high manufacturing costs made the objects too expensive for many to purchase. Morris' circle included the Pre-Raphaelites, especially Edward Burne-Jones (1833–1898), the ceramicist William De Morgan (1839–1917), and the architect-designer Philip Webb (1831–1915) |
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The Firm-William Morris, Philip Webb, Edward Burnes-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, and Ford Maddox Brown.
Red House 1859-1865
In 1848, as revolutions swept continental Europe and an uprising for social reform, known as Chartism, unsettled Britain, seven rebellious young artists in London formed a secret society with the aim of creating a new British art. They called themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. the Brotherhood instead emulated the art of late medieval and early Renaissance Europe until the time of Raphael, an art characterized by minute description of detail, a luminous palette of bright colors that recalls the tempera paint used by medieval artists, and subject matter of a noble, religious, or moralizing nature. In mid-nineteenth-century England, a period marked by political upheaval, mass industrialization, and social ills, the Brotherhood at its inception strove to transmit a message of artistic renewal and moral reform by imbuing their art with seriousness, sincerity, and truth to nature. As their works became more decorative, the Pre-Raphaelites were increasingly interested in the decorative arts. In 1861, Burne-Jones and Rossetti joined Morris' new design firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. (reorganized as Morris & Co. in 1875), producing murals, stained glass, furniture, textiles, jewelry, and wall coverings inspired by botanical motifs. The firm responded to the rift between fine and applied arts caused by the Industrial Revolution and mass production by reviving the workshop practices of medieval Europe, considered a paragon of spirituality and artistic integrity. By the mid-1880s, a movement to unify the arts, known as Arts and Crafts, took root in England and by century's end was flourishing throughout the British Isles. |
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Chairs upholstered in William Morris textiles
Maker: Upholstery, William Morris 1834-1896
Date: late 19th century
Style: Arts and Crafts Movement
Material: cotton or wool
Method: Block printing |
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Paris Metro signs
Maker: Hector Guimard
Date: c.1900
Style: Art Nouveau
Materials: Iron, glass
www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=2393
These metro signs were created for the Paris-Exposition Universelle in 1900
Art Nouveau is the period between 1880-WWI and is a period when design broke from all of the revival periods of the 19th century ie. Rococo-revival, gothic-revival, etc. Art Nouveau is recognized by the extreme curves and lines. Inspired by natural lines and beauty. Radically different from anything that had come before. Taking inspiration from the unruly aspects of the natural world, Art Nouveau influenced art and architecture especially in the applied arts, graphic work, and illustration. The unfolding of Art Nouveau's flowing line may be understood as a metaphor for the freedom and release sought by its practitioners and admirers from the weight of artistic tradition and critical expectations. Deeply influenced by the socially aware teachings of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau designers endeavored to achieve the synthesis of art and craft, and further, the creation of the spiritually uplifting Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art") encompassing a variety of media. |
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Tea Service
Maker: Marianne Brandt
Date: 1924
Style: Bauhaus
Material: Silver
Under the direction of Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus sought a union of art and technology, with an emphasis on developing prototypes for industrial production. Brandt, the sole woman enrolled in the school's metal workshop, designed this silver teapot while still a student. By interrelating a number of pure geometric forms, including the hemisphere, circle, and cylinder, Brandt's design explores their formal relationship in space. Its very form and materials serve as the teapot's sole decorative elements, reflecting the Bauhaus emphasis on simplicity in design, without applied ornament. Like other functional Bauhaus items, the teapot was designed to work well in addition to looking good—it is well balanced and easy to pour. Like many of the metalwork designs of the Bauhaus, the teapot was conceived as a prototype for mass production, though this example is made of brass, silver, and ebony, expensive materials that would have precluded the broad audience hoped for by Bauhaus leaders. |
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“Wassily” chair
Maker: Marcel Breuer
Date: 1925
Style: Bauhaus
Material: Chrome-plated steel, canvas upholstery
Architect and designer Marcel Breuer graduated from the Bauhaus carpentry workshop in 1924. Following a brief stay in Paris, Breuer returned to the Bauhaus Dessau as master of that workshop in 1925 at the request of Walter Gropius. Breuer remained at the Bauhaus until 1928. During this time, he experimented with extruded steel to create a series of lightweight metal furnishings, continuing the Bauhaus interest in industrial materials and manufacturing techniques. Inspired by the flexibility and strength of his beloved metal bicycle frame, Breuer applied the same material and construction principles to chair design. After numerous prototypes, Breuer settled on a fluid, minimal design in which the chair is supported on tubular metal runners. The taut, un-upholstered seat, back, and armrests of simple black canvas contribute to the stark, dematerialized appearance of the chair. It became known as the "Wassily" chair, in homage to Breuer's friend and fellow Bauhaus instructor, the Russian painter Vasily Kandinsky. While this iconic chair design remains closely associated with the Bauhaus, and was used in several areas of the Bauhaus Dessau, Breuer developed and manufactured it in his free time, independent from the school. |
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Red House in Bexleyheath in southeast London, England, is a major building of the history of theArts and Crafts style and of 19th century British architecture. It was designed during 1859 by its owner, William Morris, and the architect Philip Webb, with wall paintings and stained glass byEdward Burne-Jones. Morris wanted a home for himself and his new wife, Jane. He also desired to have a "Palace of Art" in which he and his friends could enjoy producing works of art. The house is of red brick with a steep tiled roof and an emphasis on natural material. Morris lived with Jane in the house for only five years, during which time their two daughters, Jenny and May, were born. Forced to sell the house for financial reasons during 1865, Morris vowed never to return to it. He said that to see the house again would be more than he could bear.
The house was lived in as a family home for nearly 150 years
The National Trust acquired Red House during 2002 and is performing further restoration and research to restore the house as much as possible to its original condition. |
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