Minneapolis Institute of Art

Table

Designer: Thomas Hope

Date

c. 1800

Medium

Painted and gilded wood (probably pine, beech and oak), top lined with painted canvas

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Thomas Hope, heir to a Dutch banking fortune, was an influential connoisseur, collector, and designer in England. In 1799 he acquired a grand London mansion on Duchess Street and set about creating a wholly original domestic interior. He helped to formulate the Regency style (c. 1800–1830), combining Greek, Roman, and Egyptian motifs and styles he’d seen on his extensive travels. This table, noteworthy for its bold proportions and striking ornamentation, may have adorned his famous picture gallery, created to emulate a Greek temple. Hope’s book Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, published in 1807, included illustrations of his designs and furniture, including this table, and introduced the term “interior decoration” to the English language. Europe

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