Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

The Metropolitan Museum of Art


    • Chest of drawers, 1765
    John Townsend (American, 1733–1809)
    Newport, Rhode Island
    Mahogany, white pine, chestnut, tulip poplar

    34 1/2 x 37 1/2 x 20 3/4 in. (87.6 x 95.3 x 52.7 cm)
    Rogers Fund, 1927 (27.57.1)

    John Townsend was perhaps the greatest master of block-and-shell furniture, the signature style of Rhode Island cabinetmakers. This chest is one of eight known case pieces that he signed or labeled. Two of the pieces, including this one, are dated 1765; the others date from around 1790, suggesting how long-lived this style was. All are remarkably alike in overall design, decorative detail, and construction.

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    This work has been published in the Museum's Bulletin or Journal. These articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship.
  • "A Bicentennial Treasury: American Masterpieces from the Metropolitan." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 33, no. 4 (Winter, 1975–76).
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  • Chest of drawers, 1765
    John Townsend (American, 1733–1809)
    Newport, Rhode Island
    Mahogany, white pine, chestnut, tulip poplar

    34 1/2 x 37 1/2 x 20 3/4 in. (87.6 x 95.3 x 52.7 cm)
    Rogers Fund, 1927 (27.57.1)