Design for two halves of a rococo pier-table
Drawing
ca.1755 (designed)
ca.1755 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This design by Thomas Johnson was engraved and published in ‘One Hundred and Fifty New Designs’ which was printed in two editions in 1758 and 1761. This design is typical of Johnson’s flamboyant interpretation of the rococo style. The rococo became popular around 1730 in Britain, characterised by curvaceous forms, asymmetry and natural motifs. Designers working in the rococo style would often use images of animals within their designs such as the barking dog and squawking bird within this drawing. Such imagery was often inspired by other designer’s works such as the illustrations for Aesop’s Fables by Francis Barlow. The pagoda shape and the Chinese-inspired bird on the left of the piece demonstrates the use of chinoiserie and the popularity of Chinese motifs within carved works.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Design for two halves of a rococo pier-table (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | pencil and ink on paper with a yellow wash which appears to have been added after the design |
| Brief description | Design for two halves of a rococo pier table by Thomas Johnson in pencil, pen and ink, grey and yellow wash on paper, ca.1755 |
| Physical description | Design for two halves of a rococo pier table. One half of the design has a cabriole leg with flowers, decorated with rocaille ornamentation. A squawking bird is positioned underneath the table top. This half also features a stretcher with the figure of a barking dog. The other half of the design is slightly higher on the paper and features chinoiserie decorative detail such as a mythological bird and a pagoda shape. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Production type | Design |
| Object history | This design was engraved and published in 'One Hundred and Fifty New Designs....' by Thomas Johnson, published in 1758 and 1761, for which it was engraved by the engraver B. Clowes. Johnson published several designs in publications such as Twelve Gerandoles (1755) and two editions of A New Book of Ornaments (1760 and 1762). His designs often include highly flamboyant rococo, rustic and chinoiserie features. |
| Summary | This design by Thomas Johnson was engraved and published in ‘One Hundred and Fifty New Designs’ which was printed in two editions in 1758 and 1761. This design is typical of Johnson’s flamboyant interpretation of the rococo style. The rococo became popular around 1730 in Britain, characterised by curvaceous forms, asymmetry and natural motifs. Designers working in the rococo style would often use images of animals within their designs such as the barking dog and squawking bird within this drawing. Such imagery was often inspired by other designer’s works such as the illustrations for Aesop’s Fables by Francis Barlow. The pagoda shape and the Chinese-inspired bird on the left of the piece demonstrates the use of chinoiserie and the popularity of Chinese motifs within carved works. |
| Bibliographic reference | Kimball, F. and Donnell, E. The Creators of the Chippendale Style, Metropolitan Museum Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2 (May, 1929), pp. 115-154 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | D.731-1906 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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