American Classical Revival furniture was long ignored
as a boisterous and muscular intruder into the tasteful arena of fine
American antiques. Over the past 20 years, scholarship advanced and tensions
thawed. Now, post fuss-and-shock, these bold works seem to be receiving
the praise that they well deserve.
Classical Revival furniture, full-bodied and hot-blooded, challenged
the aesthetic of American furniture purists who cited its lack of refinement
and restraint and, worse, its irreverent disdain for the obvious grace
of the much-adored Federal period that preceded it. The majority of Classical
pieces exhibit the same qualities that describe adolescent America in
those years--adventurous, a bit heady with power, and willing to venture
into the unknown.
American Classical Revival: 1810-1850
ELEMENTS OF THE STYLE
*Legs and upright supports are usually well-endowed balusters
and full columns.
*The carving of capitols, foliage, and scrollwork is robust,
exuberant, and broad.
*Casework and applied decoration is imposing and often heavily
gilded.
*Cool blue mirror plates are surrounded by broadly curvaceous
gilded frames.
*Burnished gilded pulls of imperial dimensions stand out loudly
against enormous flat expanses of red-dyed mahogany.
*White Carrara marble, preferred during the period for marble
tops, columns, and pilasters, is usually juxtaposed with gilded
bases and capitols.
*The proportions of Classical Revival furniture are somewhat
oversized, and the designs, which are bold, often border on the
aggressive. This somewhat explosive mix required deft handling
by talented cabinetmakers; mishandled, these elements resulted
in furniture that is distinctly ponderous.
Notable furnituremakers to look for:
New York: Duncan Phyfe, Charles-Honore Lannuier, Michael
Allison
Boston: John Doggett, John and Thomas Seymour, Emmons and
Archibald, Isaac Vose and Sons, William Fisk
Philadelphia: Joseph B. Barry & Son, Anthony G. Quervelle
Baltimore: Thomas S. Renshaw, John and Hugh Finlay
READ MORE