American Painted Furniture [Hardcover]

Cynthia Schaffner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 1997

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lavishly produced and meticulously researched, American Painted Furniture surveys decorative treasures from 1790 to 1880, a period when cabinetmakers, gilders, and ornamental painters aspired beyond the utilitarian to create fanciful works of art. With 350 superb photographs, the volume explores both high-style furniture from the regional design centers of Boston and Salem, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York City, and the way that style was adapted and reinterpreted in rural regions across the country. In addition to a thorough analysis of many imaginative items (faux-inlaid desks, marbleized tables, stenciled cupboards, elaborate timepieces, and much more), the authors also have much to teach about the architecture and social setting of the period. The appendices discuss the specifics of the era's painting and gilding methods, and list dealers, restoration services, and historic houses. This sumptuous volume amply demonstrates what 19th-century craftspeople knew well, a concept that is gaining greatly renewed attention in today's decor--namely that, as these marvelous authors tell us, "Paint can turn the most ordinary furniture into decorative sculpture." American Painted Furniture will delight not only students of historic decorative arts, but modern devotees of faux finishing and ornamental painting, who will find much to inspire them here. --Amy Handy

Product Details

• Hardcover: 223 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1st edition (December 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517700832
• ISBN-13: 978-0517700839
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,615,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Many beautiful photographs covering many regions of the U.S., May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: American Painted Furniture (Hardcover)

This book is a must-have reference for anyone interested in the decorative arts. I am a decorative painter and am always on the look-out for reference books that not only teach about the history of the art, but also contain many pictoral examples for inspiration. This book fits the bill.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource on painted furniture, April 27, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Painted Furniture (Hardcover)

The photographs in this book are a visual feast for anyone who enjoys American painted furniture. As a collector of old chairs I particularly enjoyed the regional histories and the comparison of high style and country pieces. The appendices on paint and gilding were fascinating. More information on restoration and conservation issues would have been invaluable. (The authors must have encountered much of this information in the course of their extensive research.) This book will be an often-used resource as well as a rainy day 'escape' for many years to come.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Please., January 5, 1999

By 

Christopher Olexy - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Painted Furniture (Hardcover)

As a beginning collector of American painted furniture and decorations I found the book to be an exciting new resource. The layout and development of the book is very well thought out and presented. It is definitly a must for anyone interested in learning more about the subject especially for those persons unfamiliar with the subject. My only reason for not giving the book five stars is that I would like to have seen more. It would have been great to have seen a much larger publication on the subject from Schaffner and Klein.