Deerfield, Mass. (May 1, 2018) ---
This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779), English furniture maker, author of
The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director
(1754), and important disseminator of what is commonly known today as the Rococo style. Since the 1840s, the term "Rococo" has been used to describe a variety of 18th-century decorative art forms that bear particular ornamental characteristics. Hallmarks of the style include asymmetrical and naturalistic forms, often achieved through the inclusion of "C-" and "S-" shaped scrolls, and motifs such as foliage, rocks, and shells. Rooted in France in the 1730s, the style quickly gained popularity in other countries, including England and America, where it was adopted to different degrees.
To mark this milestone, Historic Deerfield's new exhibition, "Rococo: Celebrating 18th-Century Design and Decoration," celebrates both Chippendale's legacy and the iconic style he helped promote through a number of English and American Rococo decorative art forms from Historic Deerfield's rich collection.
"Rococo: Celebrating 18th-Century Design and Decoration," officially opens on Friday, May 4, in the Flynt Center of Early New England Life. The exhibition will be on view through February 10, 2019. Admission to the museum, which includes access to all exhibitions at the Flynt Center, tours of museum houses and demonstrations, is $18 for adults (18+), $5 for children (6-17) and free for children under 5, members, and residents of Deerfield. The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
About Historic Deerfield, Inc.
Historic Deerfield, Inc., is dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the Connecticut River Valley. Its museums and programs provide today's audiences with experiences that create an understanding and appreciation of New England's historic villages and countryside.
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Items on view in the exhibition include:
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Side chair, attributed to Nathaniel Gould (1734-1782), Salem, Massachusetts, ca. 1770. Mahogany. 59.070.2.
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Teapot, Staffordshire, England, 1750-1760. Agateware and base metal. Museum Collections Fund, 2006.5.2.
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Detail, robe à l'anglaise, Spitalfields, London,
1734-1742. Polychrome supplementary weft-patterned silk (brocade). F.098.
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