Art Institute of Chicago

Armchair

England

Date

c. 1765

Medium

Gessoed and gilt beechwood, modern upholstery

Culture

England

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

With its serpentine top rail, scrolled arm rests and feet, and broad back, this chair, though made in England, is typical of mid-18th century chairs in the French Rococo style. Furniture designers in England drew inspiration from their trendsetting peers in Paris (the birthplace of the fanciful Rococo style) as well as from French craftsmen working in London. Several renowned English cabinetmakers, including Thomas Chippendale, included designs for “French Chairs” in their furniture pattern books. This chair is one of a set of at least 12 reputed to have been made for Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive (1725–1774), for Walcot Hall in Shropshire, England.

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