Stool (tabouret)
After a design by Friedrich Gilly German
Not on view
The classicizing form is based on ancient pediment designs of Attic grave Stelai. By turning the crowning pediment structure of the Stelai upside down, the corner-shaped acroteria were elongated and adapted as the four feet of the stool, creating an extravagant contrast to its restrained rails. The overall design is indebted to English influences, examples of which can be found in Thomas Hope’s Household Furniture (1807) and George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (1808). The curtailed yet dramatic outline and the omission of protruding décor reflect the distinguished style of Friedrich Gilly’s ornamental inventions. By merging individual design details drawn from ancient classical architecture and decoration with the unusual choice of the yellowish birch wood that was highly fashionable during this period in Eastern Europe and especially Russia, an object of commanding design quality with a considerable visual impact was created.
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