The hectic magnificence of life in XVIII century Venice finds its
reflection, naturally enough, in the decorative arts of the time.
Furniture less ornate than the lavishly carved chair illustrated on this
page would have seemed out of place in the great gilded salons where human
peacocks strutted in the bravery of brocade and rustling silk. As a
general rule, Italian furniture of the Rococo Age is easily recognized by
its prodigal indulgence in the spices, so to speak, of furniture
designing. Rarely is a piece of Italian furniture of the elaborate
character of this pearwood chair so successful in combining an almost
excessive richness of carving with a fine feeling for proportions and
harmonious ensemble. Indeed, it is not impossible that the chair is the
work of a cabinet maker who may have come from France to Venice in the
suite of some great nobleman.
Of the master craftsmen of England in the XVIII century none has achieved
greater renown than Thomas Chippendale (1709-1779). Through the
publication of his book of furniture designs in 1754 (later editions in
1759 and 1762) as well as by the example of his own cabinet work, he
exerted a widespread influence. His various styles were imitated not only
in England, but also in the American colonies. Consequently, not every
“Chippendale” piece is from the master’s hands; on the contrary, well
authenticated furniture by Chippendale himself, or by his own workmen, are
great rarities. It is customary, however, to designate as “Chippendale”
the work of his contemporaries and imitators who copied the styles which
the master had popularized.
[Tripod Table with Top Tilted Back]