Chest with drawer

Unknown

1705–25 · Painted yellow poplar, yellow pine, birch · The American Wing

This small chest belongs to a group of painted furniture associated with the Guilford-Saybrook area of coastal Connecticut. The founder of this tradition may have been Charles Guillam (1671–1727), who had emigrated from Britain by 1703. An inventory taken at his death listed ocher and umber pigments, “a painted chest with drawers,” “a parcel of collours,” and partially completed furniture and cabinetmaking tools, suggesting that he was both the maker and the decorator of his furniture.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1705–25

Medium

Painted yellow poplar, yellow pine, birch

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1909