Neoclassicism brings me immense joy, which is why I am particularly excited to share this painted beechwood hall chair, dripping with Neoclassical elements, that was made by Thomas Chippendale in the 18th century for the entrance hall at Harewood House in Yorkshire. One of a set of eight, this chair remains in the divine Robert Adam room for which it was designed. I should also mention that hall chairs were made to be decorative additions to a hall; they were not meant to be sat upon :-).
Chippendale, of course, is considered the finest English furniture maker of all time. He was born very close to Harewood (in Otley) in 1718 and died in 1779 in London. Besides his scrumptious furniture, his fame rests with his 1754 publication, The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker’s Director, the first example of a cabinetmaker publishing his designs.
Harewood House is still owned, and lived in, by the Lascelles family, who built it in the 1760s and 1770s (it is today the seat of David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood). Scholars believe that Harewood contains the finest collection of Chippendale furniture in the world. You can see more photos of Chippendale’s creations, together with images of Harewood’s interiors, on my website.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Emily Dickinson:
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –