Armchair
Luigi Frullini
(Italian, 1839–1897)
about 1873–6
Object PlaceFlorence, Italy
Medium/TechniqueWalnut; polychrome and gilded leather upholstery
Dimensions92.71 x 91.76 x 78.74 cm (36 1/2 x 36 1/8 x 31 in.)
Credit LineGift of Alice Dean Scranton in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Cunningham and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gardner Dean and H. E. Bolles Fund
Accession number1985.811
On View
Not on viewClassificationsFurniture
Collections
Frullini, a sculptor by training, turned to furniture making and produced monumental pieces in the Renaissance style. His international reputation grew to such an extent that he had a number of prominent clients in the United States. In 1876 he worked at Château-sur-Mer in Newport, Rhode Island. The ornament on this chair-particularly the sleeping putti and the bat motif-is characteristic of Frullini's work and demonstrates his virtuosity as a sculptor.
ProvenanceBy 1984, Alice Dean Scranton, West Bridgewater, MA [see note 1]; 1985, gift of Alice Dean Scranton. (Accession date: November 27, 1985)NOTES:
[1] In a letter to the MFA from October 1, 1984, Alice Scranton suggests that the chair had been in the family for "many generations."
about 1780–85, with extensive restoration and modification
about 1780–85, with extensive restoration and modification
1690-1700
about 1740–50