Unknown Sofa

Date 19th century
Materials Painted beech, horsehair padding, brass castors and with modern 1984 cotton covers
Dimensions 86.5 cm x 183.0 cm x 76.0 cm
Marks
Further information GLAHA 53576.

Note This three-seater sofa is painted silvery-white. There is a photograph of Whistler in his London studio taken by George Jacomb-Hood about 1885 in which this sofa appears. There is also a pair of companion chairs. Evidence suggests that Whistler adapted the sofa and chairs to make a matching set. Tackholes along the backrail of the sofa imply that it was once upholstered. The sofa and chairs appear occasionally as props in Whistler’s paintings, for example, in La Sylphide.

Related works GLAHA 53574, 53575, 46357.