Details

Title

Chair

Artist/Maker

Benjamin Henry Latrobe (American, 1764-1820), Philadelphia, designer
George Bridport (American, born England 1783-1819), decorator
Hugh Finlay (American, born Ireland, active ca. 1800-1837), fabricator
John Finlay (American, born Ireland, active ca. 1799–1833), fabricator

Date

ca. 1808

Medium

Painted and gilded yellow poplar, oak, maple, white pine, and cane

Dimensions

34 3/8 x 17 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches

Credit

Purchase with funds from the Decorative Arts Acquisition Endowment

Accession #

1984.47

On View

On View - Stent Family Wing, Level 3, Gallery 308

This Baltimore klismos (a form of ancient Greek chair with splayed, curved legs) epitomizes the American Empire style. Reflecting the French interpretation of Roman and Greek arts, the chair shows the archaeological influence that pervaded this early-nineteenth-century classical revival. The chair’s details suggest the work of architect Benjamin Latrobe, whose design for similar chairs was among the furnishings of the White House during James Madison’s administration.