Images(2)

Side chair, Neoclassical

1790–1800

Object Placepossibly New York, United States

Medium/TechniqueMahogany, ash, cherry, pine

DimensionsOverall: 98.4 x 55.2 x 48.9 cm (38 3/4 x 21 3/4 x 19 1/4 in.)

Credit LineThe M. and M. Karolik Collection of Eighteenth-Century American Arts

Accession number39.152

On View

Not on view

ClassificationsFurniture

Collections

Americas

InscriptionsHandwritten note by Malcom A. Norton pasted to inside of front reat rail: "This chair I bought from Dr. Cook of Moodus, Conn. He lived some years in the old Eupaphroditus Champion House and bought all the Champion furniture which he moved to his Moodus home. Eupaphroditus Champion and his father, Colonel Henry Champion drove 500 head of cattle from Lebanon to Valley Forge and saved Washington's army from starvation." A modern red bordered jelly label is also pasted to the chair: "MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS [printed] / TL 3691 / M. Karolik [typed]"

ProvenanceAccording to a handwritten note pasted to inside of front rear rail from Malcolm A. Norton: "This chair I bought from Dr. Cook of Moodus, Conn. He lived some years in the old Eupaphroditus Champion House and bought all the Champion furniture which he moved to his Moodus home. Eupaphroditus Champion and his father, Colonel Henry Champion drove 500 head of cattle from Lebanon to Valley Forge and saved Washington's army from starvation"; this suggests that the chair went from the family of Eupaphroditus Champion of Moodus, Conn., to a Dr. Cook of Moodus, to Malcolm A. Norton, a collector and author, who apparently sold it to Israel Sack (dealer), New York; purchased for $350 from Sack for the Karolik collection; 1939, given as part of the M. and M. Karolik Collection of Eighteenth-Century American Arts (Accession Date January 19, 1939)