Art Institute of Chicago

Side Chair

Artist unknown (American, 18th century)

Date

1750–55

Medium

Mahogany with tulip poplar and upholstery

Culture

Philadelphia

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This chair, part of a set of at least eight, was originally purchased by John Wister for his house, Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Wister built the house in 1744, and the chairs were most likely made soon after its completion. The style of the chair is transitional, between the late Baroque and the early Rococo. The pierced chair back and the ruffled shell on the seat rail were popular treatments on Baroque-style chairs. The elaborate carving, rectangular backs, and trapezoidal seat were mainstays of chair design in the Rococo period.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.