A10: Massachusetts Dining Room, 1795 c. 1940

Narcissa Niblack Thorne, sometime in the first half of the 20th century, crafted this miniature Massachusetts Dining Room, 1795, out of wood and fabric. Isn't it incredible? I like to think about how the artist carefully assembled the furniture and decorative elements, each piece meticulously scaled and positioned. Imagine the quiet concentration it must have taken to capture the atmosphere of a 18th-century dining room within such a small frame. The colors are subdued but balanced, a restrained palette that evokes a sense of history. I can only guess at the conversations Thorne might have been having with other artists and makers, trading tips and ideas with fellow artists like Joseph Cornell. Each generation builds on the work of those who came before. Thorne, through her practice, asks us to look closer at the past and to appreciate how material objects carry stories.