Side Chair

Attributed to John Townsend American

Not on view

The subtle tilt of the chair back afforded minimal comfort while prompting the sitter to employ respectable posture. As mercantile wealth and social status increased in the colonial period, so did entertaining customs and the hierarchical distance between those perched in these chairs and those serving them. When entertaining subsided, chairs lined the edge of a room allowing the abstract wonderment of the skillfully sawn, puzzle-like back to enrich the interior design.

Side Chair, Attributed to John Townsend (1732–1809), Mahogany, maple, chestnut, white pine, American

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Side Chair, Attributed to John Townsend (1732–1809), Mahogany, maple, chestnut, white pine, American
Side Chair, Attributed to John Townsend (1732–1809), Mahogany, maple, chestnut, white pine, American
Side Chair, Attributed to John Townsend (1732–1809), Mahogany, maple, chestnut, white pine, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.