Object Image

High Chest of Drawers

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.

Credit: Bequest of William McCormick Blair Estate...

1760/75
Mahogany and white pine
217.2 x 102.8cm
1984.714
Image and text courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago, 2019

Where you'll find this

Art Institute of Chicago
Permanent collection