Style At A Glance: Chippendale
What makes the difference between professional designer and amateur? I believe, first of all, it is the ability to skilfully mix things and elements from different styles and epochs, without making at the end a crazy melange. This article will be about the person, who combined with a pure taste elaborate fancifulness of Rococo, rigorous elegance of English style and exotic oriental motifs. I am talking now about the best cabinetmaker of all times – Thomas Chippendale. The first furniture catalogue written by him – The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director , his drawings and layouts are used by designers and cabinet makers until now.
As it always happens, tendencies in design are influenced by social and cultural life. It was also the case during the times when Chippendale lived. XVIII century is the period of distant sea voyages and great geographical discoveries. In 1725 the captain of one British ship brought to England redwood, which he used as a ballast, and since then began the era of mahogany. Its durability and strength as well as the ability to carve fine details captured the heart of Thomas Chippendale and other cabinet makers. Apart from this “new” material, furniture created by him had several other distinctive features. Lets have a look at them closer.
1) Openwork back
The most famous furniture piece created by Thomas Chippendale was his beautiful dining chair. It has a carved openwork back with a symmetrical ornate pattern, square or trapezium-shaped seat, straight or curved legs, which sometimes ended in the “ball and claw” shape. A lot of elements were used for carved decor: ribbons, rocaille curls, flowers, etc. The upholstery fabric was various: it could be tapestry, silk, leather or velvet. Wooden parts were always covered with protective varnish, which make a big difference from the French furniture of that period usually painted with gilt or gesso.
2) Asian influence
“Chinese” Chippendale chairs became one of the most popular furniture pieces and remain such until today. Its recognizable feature is back looking like the bamboo lattice. Many furniture producers even today make chairs resembling its famous prototype. Of course, nowadays they are mostly made in a simplified design and from cheap materials, such as plastic.
3) Gothic ornaments
Gothic is one of those everlasting styles, which change and transform but never die. Thomas Chippendale and other cabinet-makers of his time often used it in combination with Rococo and Chinoiserie, which added lightness and cheerfulness to this rigid style. The most popular ornaments included lattices, gryphons, acanthus leaves, architectural elements of ancient Gothic cathedrals.
4) Vase Splat and Fiddle Back
All chairs by Chippendale have wooden back without any upholstery. There is a huge variety of back designs created by him, but mostly they were vase splat (resembling vase) or fiddle back (violin-shaped splat back).
As I mentioned earlier, Chippendale style is very often used by designers today. Below is the example of the contemporary Scandinavian interior with modern Chippendale dining chairs.
Got inspired? Have a look at these
5 CHIPPENDALE CHAIRS THAT I LOVE:
1. Phyllis Morris Chippendale bar stools 2. Pair of vintage bamboo Chippendale chairs 3. Vintage set of 4 Rattan Chinese Chippendale chairs 4. Antique English Chippendale Armchair 5.Hand-carved solid mahogany antique replicas Chippendale Chair
Want to learn more about various interior styles? Check my “HISTORY OF STYLES” book:
