Fancy Chair

This American painted side chair, made between 1800 and 1805, is a strong early example of “fancy” furniture, featuring a trompe l’oeil urn-form back framed by slender columnar supports. The design draws on a neoclassical vocabulary, with the urn as a central motif, translated through painted surface rather than carved or inlaid ornament. Gilded and painted details articulate the rails and joints, creating contrast against the dark ground and emphasizing the chair’s simple but elegant structure.

Year: 1800-1805

Material: Wood, caning, paint

Dimensions: W 18 ½ x D 16 x H 35 in x SH 17 ½ in