Pier Glass Frames, in Chippendale Drawings, Vol. I 1754

This design for pier glass frames was made in the 1760s by Thomas Chippendale using pen and grey ink, with grey wash on paper. It’s a great example of a tradesman advertising his wares. The paper support has a texture, and it’s been stained through age. Look closely, and you’ll see that Chippendale has drawn the design twice, perhaps exploring two alternative possibilities. It seems he was focused on the joinery details at the top and bottom of the frame; the central portions are less fully elaborated. These frames would have been made by highly skilled woodworkers, and the drawing itself has a virtuosic quality, with line work of the highest caliber. The design merges rococo with neo-Gothic elements, making it difficult to assign the drawing to one particular style. This blending of historical sources reflects the increasingly competitive market for furnishings in 18th-century London, and Chippendale was canny enough to offer designs that would appeal to a broad clientele. By focusing on design and production, we can see this drawing not just as a beautiful object, but as a document of burgeoning consumer culture.