Armchair

Thomas Affleck

ca. 1766 · Mahogany, white oak · The American Wing

Imagine the great comfort this chair provided with its wide seat, reclined back, and plush padding on the arm rests and seat. The sturdy, straight mahogany legs carved with stylized Gothic arches and Chinese fretwork speak to the influence of Rococo designs published in 1762 by Thomas Chippendale—most closely to plate 19 for a "French chair." This armchair relates to a suite commissioned by John Penn (1729–1795), grandson of the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, and the last governor of the colony before the American Revolution.

Artist

Thomas Affleck

Date

ca. 1766

Medium

Mahogany, white oak

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, John Stewart Kennedy Fund and Rogers Fund, by exchange, 2007