Side Chair 1877 - 1880

Henry Hobson Richardson crafted this Side Chair, held here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its structure is immediately striking; the verticality of the back spindles contrasts with the solid horizontal seat, creating a visual rhythm that’s both comforting and subtly dynamic. Consider the chair's materiality: the choice of wood and its light finish are not merely functional. The smooth, unadorned surfaces speak to a desire for simplicity and honesty. The construction, with its emphasis on clean lines and exposed joinery, highlights the chair's structural integrity. This emphasis on form invites us to contemplate the chair not just as a utilitarian object, but as a study in geometric relationships and material expression. The chair subtly challenges the ornate styles that preceded it. In its reductive approach, we might see echoes of broader philosophical shifts towards simplicity and functionalism. This chair becomes more than just a piece of furniture; it's a statement about design, use, and the cultural values it embodies.