Painted Side Chair (Primary Title)
Attributed to, John Seymour Jr., American, active 1785 - 1793 (Decorator)
Attributed to, John Seymour, American, ca. 1738 - ca. 1818 (Maker)
The refined form, arched splat, and caned seat of these chairs is based on a design by Englishman George Hepplewhite first published in London in 1787. While the splat recalls English gothic tastes, the delicate painted decoration – a flower-and-ribbon motif – derives from French Louis XVI designs. Together, they represent a style particularly popular in the Boston area.
These chairs were probably made by John Seymour, a celebrated cabinetmaker who moved from Portland, Maine, to Boston in 1793 or 1794. One of the chairs bears an inscription that is similar to those on other chairs assigned to the Seymour workshop and suggests that the pair was originally owned by the Silsbee-Crowninshield family of Salem, Massachusetts. Small differences of construction may be attributed to the various hands of John’s four sons, who apprenticed in his Portland shop. The decorative painting is attributed to John Jr., who worked with his father until his death in 1792 or 1793.
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