Armchair 1801

Editor: This is an armchair designed in 1801 by Samuel McIntire. It looks like a very formal seat! All straight lines, dark wood and that very serious black cushion… It almost looks like a throne for a very, *very* particular monarch. What do you think? Curator: You're right; it has a certain austerity, doesn’t it? Yet, something about the arches at the back reminds me of simpler, almost rural, forms, like the entrances to barns. It's like McIntire is reaching back to these everyday structures, these places of shelter and work, and bringing their quiet dignity into a more refined setting. What do you make of the carvings? Editor: I noticed those, they look almost like stylized wheat! Curator: Exactly! Classical motifs interpreted through a uniquely American lens. It speaks volumes about the new nation finding its artistic voice, adapting European styles to its own agricultural soul. Does the chair feel stiff to you? Editor: Well, yes and no… I mean, visually, it does. But thinking about it now, those carved details and the sweeping curve of the arms do seem to invite you in. Curator: Perhaps that’s the point? To invite, yet to maintain a certain…decorum? Like a stern but loving father figure. It is an object filled with contradiction. What do you take away from seeing it? Editor: That there's always more than meets the eye at first glance. Curator: Precisely! An invitation to look closer, to feel deeper, and to hear the echoes of history whispering from a simple, elegant chair. It makes me want to take a second look!