Art Institute of Chicago

Secrétaire à abattant

Attributed to Isaac Vose & Son (American, active 1819–25)

Date

1820–25

Medium

Mahogany, mahogany veneer, white pine, and popular, with black marble, ormolu, and brass

Culture

Boston

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This architecturally inspired secretary was originally owned by David Sears (1787–1871), a prominent merchant and landowner, whose house, designed by Alexander Parris (1780–1852), still stands at 42 Beacon Street, Boston, as the Somerset Club. An 1822 perspective drawing of the home shows a double-columned portico with composite capitals similar to those of the secrétaire, epitomizing the American interpretation of the late French Empire style. The simple form of the exterior highlights the luxuriousness of its materials and also belies a complicated interior of intricate drawers and shelves of various sizes.

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