Side chair, 1815–20
Attributed to Duncan Phyfe (Scottish, 1768–1854)
New York City
Mahogany, ash, tulip poplar
Artist Biography
Technical Glossary
Attributed to Duncan Phyfe (Scottish, 1768–1854)
New York City
Mahogany, ash, tulip poplar
32 1/4 x 21 3/4 x 18 3/8 in. (81.9 x 55.2 x 46.7 cm)
Gift of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Varick Stout, in their memory, 1965 (65.188.2)
The delicate framing and lyre-shaped splat of this chair are considered hallmarks of the Phyfe style. The cabinetmaker included a drawing of a similar chair in an 1816 letter to prominent Philadelphian Charles Bancker. This particular example is thought to be part of a set of twenty-four produced by Phyfe's workshop. Early historians claimed that New Jersey governor William Livingston (1723–1790) purchased the chairs, but they date to a period well past his death. Two other known sets of lyre-back chairs from 1810–20 are also attributed to Phyfe.
