American artist John Singleton Copley was not only mindful of dress and pose of the individuals whose portraits he painted -- he was also extremely conscious of what those sitting for him were sitting on.
To emphasize the social distinction of his wealthy clients, Copley would depict them on luxurious seating. Two of his portraits of well-seated individuals are featured in "Chairs as Status Symbols," part of the exhibit "Four Centuries of American Art and Design," opening on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the Yale University Art Gallery.
The exhibit features key works from Yale's collections of American decorative arts, paintings and sculpture, displayed in small thematic groupings. The show, which is free and open to the public, will be on the museum's first floor through Feb. 27, while the American galleries are undergoing a complete renovation.
"We needed to select objects that reflect not only the range of our collections, but include key works for teachers at all levels," says Patricia E. Kane, curator of American decorative arts and one of the organizers of the exhibit. "These objects seemed to fall readily into tableaux, as it were, of aspects of American life over the past four centuries."
The "Chairs as Status Symbol" grouping, for example, includes the simple, but throne-like, Wainscot "President's chair" from the mid-17th century; an 18th-century rococo chair with a back splat carved in the shape of the owner's monogram; and two 20th-century chairs designed by architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Robert Venturi.
Another section, on the importance of architecture in the emerging republic, includes portraits of architects and objects such as a late 18th-century Goddard-Townsend desk and bookcase, with an ornate façade.
Similar combinations of objects are grouped under such themes as "Patriotism," "The West," "Industrial Landscapes," "Vanity," "Lounging," "Writing" and "Labor."
In addition to Kane, the exhibition's organizers were Helen A. Cooper, the Holcombe T. Green Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture; Meredith Cohen, an intern in the gallery's American arts department; and Glenn Adamson, a graduate student in the history of art.
The Yale University Art Gallery, located at 1111 Chapel St., is open to the public without charge Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-6 p.m. It is closed Mondays and major holidays. A wheelchair-accessible entrance is at 201 York St., with a reserved parking space nearby. For taped general and program information, call (203) 432-0600 or check the gallery's website at www.yale.edu/artgallery.
T H I S
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Levin cited for community leadership
Study reveals benefits of new prostate cancer therapy
Grant to fund national test of new teaching method
Expert on care of minority elders receives nursing field's top honor
Alumni Whiffenpoofs will reunite for 90th musical 'spree'
Perspectives on Richard Levin
Psychologist Kazdin proposes new way to assess the effectiveness of therapies for youngsters
Scientists' find vastly enhances computer memory
Library gets grant to preserve rare films from Yale's past
Yale Art Gallery exhibit traces key themes in American art and design across four centuries
Museum joins U.S.-French consortium
Marks is new director of Pierson Lab
Karl M.Waage, renowned for his geological discoveries, dies
Yale scientists to speak at NAS symposium on campus
Symposium on global climate change marks anniversary of landmark report
Reading to feature letters of Revolutionary War partners
U.S. national identity will be topic of talk by noted writer
Wrap up your holiday shopping at one-day event
And the winners are...
Chinese delegates
. . . In the News . . .
Campus Notes
Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|
Calendar of Events|Bulletin Board
Classified Ads|Search Archives|Production Schedule|Bulletin Staff
Public Affairs Home|News Releases|
E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page
