Name/Title
Chair, sideEntry/Object ID
SS.63.83Description
Chair, side: decorated "fancy chair"; painted dark green ground; wide slat at top, set into stiles, decorated in naturalistic colors with Romantic landscape of castle with gate before it leading to country road with figures on road; rocky wild landscape on the left and right with lake, distant buildings and mountains in background; slightly splayed and inclined round-turned, stiles rolled over at top, and flattened to receive decoration, on face, as far down as second set of cross-rails; flattened area of stiles bears gilt outline; beneath are gilded ring-turnings; beneath scenic slat, three thin cross-rails, square section, separate but joined by two sets of three ovoid balls; beneath that, second cross-rail unit of two members separated by three ovid balls; shaped seat, caned and painted cream over white, with rounded corners, triangular corner blocks with gilt outlines, deep apron of one piece, decorated with gilt outlined central panel, 4-pointed, gilt star above each leg; splayed legs round-turned, with ball and ring at top, tapering toward bottom, with band of 4 rings, terminating in button foot; and decorated with gilt ball, ring, banding, and beneath ball and ring, black-touched gilt acanthus-like leaves; 2 round turned stretchers each side, one at back; 2 front stretchers, rectangular, with three ovoid balls between.Context
Fancy Chair
Probably New England, 1815-1830
Maple, pine, hickory
A romantic castle adorns the crest rail.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
UnknownAttribution
MakerDate made
circa 1816Dimensions
Dimension Description
OverallHeight
34-1/4 inWidth
17 inDepth
18-3/4 inDimension Notes
Display Dimensions: 34 1/4 x 17 x 18 3/4 in. (87 x 43.2 x 47.6 cm)Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
UnknownRelated Entries
Notes
SS.63.75 - Chair, side - Similar itemGeneral Notes
Note Type
Curatorial RemarksNote
Boscobel curator Jennifer Carlquist came to Sunnyside for a research appointment and made the following observations: the skirt and legs of SS.63.75 have been repainted (maybe replaced? See condition notes for SS.63.75), the chairs and painting overall very closely resemble those from George Crowninshield's Cleopatra's Barge (the 1816 yacht) in the collection of the Peabody-Essex, the painted scene on the back panel closely matches a set of chairs at Bayou Bend (either the same painter or the same print source or both); and suggested that our chairs may have had stars painted on the back beading detail although there is no evidence of that. She also debunked the original cataloging that stated that this pair may have been made in Salem. (This theory was based on the false premise that all the furnishings including fancy painted chairs for Cleopatra's Barge, a well-known luxury yacht built in Salem in 1816, were made in Salem, which is no longer thought to be true. In fact, the Peabody-Essex attributes their chairs to an unknown maker "probably New York City") [Jessa J. Krick, Collections Manager, 11/8/2016].Note Type
General NoteNote
Adaptation of Neoclassical "Sheraton" style; painting in the Romantic style; materials include maple (slat, legs, stiles), pine (skirt), and hickory (probably) (stretchers);
almost a pair with SS.63.75.Note Type
StorageNoteNote
Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Sunnyside, Ebenezer Irving's Bedroom
