Settee (Confidante) (part of a set)

Unknown

ca. 1770–80 · Beechwood, gilt; silk moiré upholstery not original to the frame · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

This type of sofa originated in mid-eighteenth-century France. George Hepplewhite illustrated a similar confidante in the 1788 edition of his Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide, where he stated in the caption that "an elegant drawing room…is scarce complete with a confidante." Formerly at the Morant family seat at Brokenhurst Park, Hampshire.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1770–80

Medium

Beechwood, gilt; silk moiré upholstery not original to the frame

Culture

British

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Purchase, Mrs. Henry Ford Gift Fund, 1958