Stool (tabouret)

Designer After a design by Friedrich Gilly German

ca. 1805–10

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.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Stool (tabouret)
Designer: After a design by Friedrich Gilly (German, Szczecin, Poland 1772–1800 Carlsbad, Czech Republic)
Date: ca. 1805–10
Culture: German, Berlin
Medium: Pine, birch, mahogany; silk, lampas
Dimensions: Overall (confirmed, ht. with current upholstery profile): 20 3/8 × 19 1/8 × 19 1/8 in. (51.8 × 48.6 × 48.6 cm)
Classification: Woodwork-Furniture
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Gifts, 2013
Object Number: 2013.616
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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