Bench
Rudolph Robinson
(American, 1937–1988)
1982–83
Object PlaceBoston, Massachusetts
Medium/TechniquePadouk
DimensionsOverall: 41.3 x 266.1 x 50.8 cm (16 1/4 x 104 3/4 x 20 in.)
Credit LinePurchased through funds donated by the National Endowment of the Arts, Ethan Allen Inc., and the Robert Lehman Foundation
Accession number1983.151
On View
Not on viewClassificationsFurniture
Collections
The MFA commissioned this bench from the artist in 1982 as part of the museum's innovative "Please Be Seated" program, in which works by contemporary studio furniture makers are acquired for the Museum's permanent collection and also function as gallery seating. Robinson, a graduate of the Philadelphia Museum of Art School, built the bench from large planks of padouk, a rare and costly tropical wood, which is extremely dense and difficult to work. The keel-shaped forms under the seat are shaped with a chisel, producing a textured surface that is meant to be felt as well as seen.
ProvenancePurchased from the artist, 1982Through funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Ethan Allen Inc., and The Robert Lehman Foundation
