Art Institute of Chicago

High Chest of Drawers

Artist unknown (American, 18th century)

Date

1760–75

Medium

Mahogany and white pine

Culture

Salem

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This high chest is an excellent example of Newport’s stylistic interpretation of the high chest form and a testament to the genius of the Goddard-Townsend school of cabinetmaking. The applied, raised panels on the top of the façade work to harmoniously integrate the bonnet to the rest of the chest. The ornament is subdued, accentuating the form rather than fighting it. The pierced claws of the feet are a particular characteristic of 18th-century Newport cabinetry.

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