Dresser with Mirror
Object Label
These two dressers were produced in New York about a generation apart for style-conscious, upper-middle-class consumers. The Belter dresser, with its undulating contours and profusion of naturalistic decoration, is a masterpiece of the Rococo Revival style, while the later, ebonized dresser is in the more geometric Aesthetic Movement style. The Aesthetic Movement represented a conscious rejection of the perceived excesses of the overwrought revival style that preceded it. Its proponents urged design reforms based on Augustus Pugin’s principles (see the gaming table nearby), as well as new lessons learned from the art of Japan. Although both dressers were considered stylish when made, it is the simple rectilinear form and flattened, abstract decoration of the later piece that appear “modern” to us today.
Caption
Unknown Designer. Dresser with Mirror, ca. 1880. Ebonized cherry, other woods, mirrored glass, brass, Dresser and Mirror: 90 x 53 x 26 in. (228.6 x 134.6 x 66 cm) (a) chest: 30 3/8 x 55 1/2 x 25 15/16 in. (77.2 x 141 x 65.9 cm) Other ((b) Mirror): 61 1/4 x 53 1/4 x 12 3/4 in. (155.6 x 135.3 x 32.4 cm) . Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Schorsch, 2009.52.2a-b. Creative Commons-BY
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Manufacturer
Designer
Title
Dresser with Mirror
Date
ca. 1880
Medium
Ebonized cherry, other woods, mirrored glass, brass
Classification
Dimensions
Dresser and Mirror: 90 x 53 x 26 in. (228.6 x 134.6 x 66 cm) (a) chest: 30 3/8 x 55 1/2 x 25 15/16 in. (77.2 x 141 x 65.9 cm) Other ((b) Mirror): 61 1/4 x 53 1/4 x 12 3/4 in. (155.6 x 135.3 x 32.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Schorsch
Accession Number
2009.52.2a-b
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
Any more info on the origins of this baby? My grandma wants to know about the inspiration behind this piece.
This dresser was made in New York! It represents the Aesthetic Movement and the reaction against the "perceived excesses of the overwrought revival styles that preceded it."The Movement was based on the theories of the English architect Augustus Pugin, who was inspired by medieval building and craft. It was also influenced by an influx of art and furniture from Japan.Ah, so a big helping of Orientalism, as grandma suspected.
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