Not currently on display at the V&A

Armchair

1750-1770 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This low-backed armchair with its sinuous outline on both back and seat, is a regional variation on the standard armchair made in Paris and some other French centres in the period 1750-1770, with upholstered back and seat. Chairs with a curved back, such as this one, were made to be moved about the room by servants as they were needed. Often they accompanied a set of larger chairs, with straight backs that were kept in place against the walls and, like fixed pier tables, formed part of the architectural furnishings of a room. The leather upholstery of this chair may suggest that it was made for use in a more masculine interior such as a library, rather than the feminine domains of the drawing room, where upholstery was generally in silk damask or other more decorative textiles.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Stained beechwood with leather upholstery
Brief description
Armchair of dark-stained dark beech, with seat and back upholstered in brown leather, the outline of the seat and back both serpentine, with moulded decoration, the front legs cabriole.
Physical description
Armchair of dark-stained dark beech, with seat and back upholstered in brown leather outlined with brass nailing, the outline of the seat and back both serpentine, with moulded decoration, the front legs cabriole.
Style
Gallery label
[Label text by Peter Thornton] Arm-chair Rhineland; mid-18th century Stained beechwood covered with leather carefully dressed to imitate leather upholstery of the period The back is of a form typical of chairs in the area between Liège and Cologne. Museum No. 889-1898(ca. 1980)
Object history
Museum nos. 859-1898 to 908-1898 (along with 909-910 for MET) "the whole of above more or less damaged" were purchased. A memo by Caspar Purdon Clarke, Assistant Director, dated 24/10/1898 on the RF records "When in Brussels recently I visited the Communale Museum and noted a collection of staircase newel posts which had been removed from old houses pulled down by the municipality. These interested me more than any other object in the museum: I therefore made inquiries as to the possibility of purchasing a few examples for our museum and suceeded in finding 3 very fair specimens at a dealers. These had been obtained during the removal of an entire block of houses on the side of the hill leading to St Gudule and the dealer informed me that in a few days he could collect more from other dealers who had purchased them, if commssioned to do so. As the price was exceedingly low I instructed him to obtain as many as possible, knowing that no great quatity could be found. In all he collected 11 separate newels at a cost of 480 francs (£19.4.0). I also selected in his shop 55 pieces of wood carving of various sizes - all very useful in making up small collections for Circulation, costing 150 francs; 2 Gothic panels; 30 frs each; 3 very rich Gothic panels, 225 frs.; an armchair, 60 frs.;and 7 iron wall anchors which form a peculiar feature in the architecture of the north of France ad in Flanders, 45 frs...."
Summary
This low-backed armchair with its sinuous outline on both back and seat, is a regional variation on the standard armchair made in Paris and some other French centres in the period 1750-1770, with upholstered back and seat. Chairs with a curved back, such as this one, were made to be moved about the room by servants as they were needed. Often they accompanied a set of larger chairs, with straight backs that were kept in place against the walls and, like fixed pier tables, formed part of the architectural furnishings of a room. The leather upholstery of this chair may suggest that it was made for use in a more masculine interior such as a library, rather than the feminine domains of the drawing room, where upholstery was generally in silk damask or other more decorative textiles.
Bibliographic reference
Edwards, Clive, 'Folding Chairs', Antique Collecting 24 8 January 1990, pp. 5-8
Collection
Accession number
889-1898

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Record createdNovember 6, 2008
Record URL
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