Side Chair

Duncan Phyfe|Duncan Phyfe & Sons

ca. 1830 · Rosewood, ash, and tulip poplar · The American Wing

As craftsmen transitioned from the Early to the Late Grecian style (the latter is also referred to as the Grecian Plain Style), they began to incorporate more curvilinear shapes and new motifs. With a scrolled stay rail and an inverted lotus-shaped splat, this design is more abstract than the clearly delineated lyre-back chair attributed to Phyfe (65.188.2). This example is thought to come from Phyfe's shop based on the quality of the workmanship and a close stylistic connection to a set of chairs manufactured for Phyfe's daughter, Eliza Phyfe Vail (1801–1890).

Artist

Duncan Phyfe|Duncan Phyfe & Sons

Date

ca. 1830

Medium

Rosewood, ash, and tulip poplar

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, The Edgar J. Kaufmann Foundation Gift, 1968