Design for a Chair Seat Cover

Anonymous, French, 19th century

ca. 1850–70 · Pen and ink and watercolor · Drawings and Prints

This small drawing shows a design for a seat cover in the Louis XVI style of artist such as Pierre Ranson (French, Paris 1736-1786 Paris). He was specialized in making designs for textiles, from tapestries to wall covering silks and other examples of upholstery, all decorated in the more delicate style that emerged during the neoclassical period which was characterized by thin bundles and garlands of flowers, trophies with pastoral attributes and pastel colors. As is shown by this design, fifty years later, the style would come in vogue again albeit just one of many. The scale of this design is clearly not true to life and it is not unlikely that this drawing was made for a sample book of an upholsterer, to be shown to the customer as one of many different styles to choose from.

Artist

Anonymous, French, 19th century

Date

ca. 1850–70

Medium

Pen and ink and watercolor

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of William Rieder, 2009