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Chair
  • Chair
    Mackintosh, Charles Rennie, born 1868 - died 1928
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Chair

  • Place of origin:

    isle of man (probably, made)

  • Date:

    1916 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Mackintosh, Charles Rennie, born 1868 - died 1928 (designer)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Wood and cane

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Mrs F.J. Bassett-Lowke

  • Museum number:

    W.8:1 to 2-1970

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and became a leading architect and designer of the Glasgow School. This chair was designed for the hall at No. 78 Derngate, Northampton. It was commissioned by Mr W. J. Bassett-Lowke, a scale model manufacturer who was one of the founders of the Design and Industries Association and a pioneering patron of the modern movement. He employed Mackintosh to renovate his house for him and his prospective bride in 1916.

The original decoration of the chair was a black stain with a wax polish over the top. But by the time it came to the V&A it was light green in colour with visible traces of a separate layer of pinkish-red paint. This may be linked to the fact that the Bassett-Lowkes moved house in 1925 and the chair was painted to fit in with a new decorative scheme. It has subsequently been painted black to return it to its original look. It is thought that the chair and other related pieces may have been made by German craftsmen interned on the Isle of Man during the First World War.

Physical description

Painted wood with cane seat, originally ebonised and wax polished. It is trapezoid in plan, tapering sharply towards the back. The front legs angled at the outside and square on the inside are joined by a plain square stretcher and above by a deep, apron-like front seat rail shaped on its lower edge with two rising steps at each side and in the centre a pendant square. These shapings are surrounded by double-incised lines. The back legs are slightly tapered and curved slightly backwards. They are joined to the front legs by a plain stretcher just above ground. The back legs rise to form the sides of the tall back, tapering, chamfered on their outside back edges and following an attenuated reverse S-curve. The back is filled with a grid of 12 squares in 6 vertcally stacked pairs: the framework is plain. The top rail has a cresting with 2 steps on each side which projects as a square moulding.

Place of Origin

isle of man (probably, made)

Date

1916 (made)

Artist/maker

Mackintosh, Charles Rennie, born 1868 - died 1928 (designer)

Materials and Techniques

Wood and cane

Dimensions

Height: 110.5 cm, Width: 45.7 cm, Depth: 45.7 cm

Historical context note

It was probably made by German craftsmen imprisoned as enemy aliens on the Isle of Man during the First World War. It was part of a complete commission of furniture and interior design work provided by Mackintosh for the home of W. J. Bassett-Lowke, one of the founders of the Design and Industries Association and a pioneering patron of the modern movement.

Descriptive line

Chair of wood and cane, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the hall of 78 Derngate, Northampton, 1916.

Exhibition History

The First Moderns (Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts 03/02/2012-02/12/2012)

Collection code

FWK

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Qr_O62471
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