Description
This high chest is an excellent example of Newport’s stylistic interpretation of the high chest form and a testament to the genius of the Goddard-Townsend school of cabinetmaking. The applied, raised panels on the top of the façade work to harmoniously integrate the bonnet to the rest of the chest. The ornament is subdued, accentuating the form rather than fighting it. The pierced claws of the feet are a particular characteristic of 18th-century Newport cabinetry.
Provenance
William McCormick Blair, Lake Bluff, Ill., by 1984; bequested to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1984.
Accession Number
102767
Medium
Mahogany and white pine
Dimensions
217.2 × 102.8 × 50.8 cm (85 1/2 × 40 1/2 × 20 in.)
Classification
case furniture
Credit Line
Bequest of William McCormick Blair Estate