Hall Chairs, in Chippendale Drawings, Vol. I 1759

This sheet of hall chair designs was made by Thomas Chippendale in England sometime in the mid-18th century. Chippendale was a cabinet-maker whose name became synonymous with a particular style of furniture. The plate presents three alternate designs. These hall chairs were originally intended not for comfort, but for display. As such, they were emblazoned with heraldry proclaiming the wealth and status of their owner, signaling a rigid social hierarchy. The designs also self-consciously evoke earlier historical styles like Gothic and French Rococo. Chippendale’s pattern books served an important commercial function, providing templates for craftsmen who could then tailor their product to a patron’s individual taste and budget. Historians use sources such as Chippendale's pattern books, along with estate inventories and other archival documents, to reconstruct the circulation of luxury goods. These designs tell us a great deal about the social and institutional context that shaped artistic production in 18th-century England.