Upholstered armchair, originally from a set of eight, from Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland (one of a pair)
These two armchairs are from a large suite of furniture comprising a bed, eight armchairs, four side chairs, and a pair of stools made about 1689 for Daniel Finch, second earl of Nottingham and seventh earl of Winchelsea (1647–1730), for the state bedroom and dressing room of his country seat, Burley-on-the-Hill in Rutland. Finch was secretary of state and privy counsellor to William III. He commissioned this set probably from Thomas Roberts, the prominent London chair maker who provided much of the seat furniture for the royal household. The tall raked backs and sinuously scrolled arms and legs reflect the style of Daniel Marot (1663–1752), the French
architect and designer who worked closely with William and Mary both in Holland and England. The chairs retain their original and exceedingly rare Genoese cut-velvet covers, woven in several shades of red, blue, and green on an oyster ground in a Baroque pattern of scrolling leaves with matching tasseled fringe. The state bed, two of the armchairs, and the stools from this suite are displayed at William and Mary's palace of Het Loo, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.
architect and designer who worked closely with William and Mary both in Holland and England. The chairs retain their original and exceedingly rare Genoese cut-velvet covers, woven in several shades of red, blue, and green on an oyster ground in a Baroque pattern of scrolling leaves with matching tasseled fringe. The state bed, two of the armchairs, and the stools from this suite are displayed at William and Mary's palace of Het Loo, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.
Artwork Details
- Title: Upholstered armchair, originally from a set of eight, from Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland (one of a pair)
- Maker: Attributed to Thomas Roberts (active 1685–1714)
- Date: ca. 1689
- Culture: British
- Medium: Ebonized beechwood, Genoese cut-velvet covers (original to the chair)
- Dimensions: Overall: 48 × 28 × 32 in. (121.9 × 71.1 × 81.3 cm)
- Classification: Woodwork-Furniture
- Credit Line: Purchase, Gift of Irwin Untermyer, by exchange, and Bequests of Bernard M. Baruch, Ruth Mabee Lachman Greenleaf, and Irwin Untermyer, by exchange, 1998
- Object Number: 1998.297.1
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Thomas Roberts
ca. 1689
Benjamin Goodison
ca. 1730
Robert Adam
Sefferin Alken
1765
Peter Langlois
1764
John Gumley
James Moore
ca. 1710–15
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.