Duncan Phyfe (1770–1854), known during his lifetime as the "United States Rage," to this day remains America's best-known cabinetmaker. Establishing his reputation as a purveyor of luxury by designing high-quality furniture for New York's moneyed elite, Phyfe would come to count among his clients some of the nation's wealthiest and most storied families.
This richly illustrated volume covers the full chronological sweep of the craftsman's distinguished career, from his earliest furniture--which bears the influence of his 18th-century British predecessors Thomas Sheraton and Thomas Hope--to his late simplified designs in the Grecian Plain. More than sixty works by Phyfe and his workshop are highlighted, including rarely seen pieces from private collections and several newly discovered documented works. Additionally, essays by leading scholars bring to light new information on Phyfe's life, his workshop production, and his roster of illustrious patrons. What unfolds is the story of Phyfe's remarkable transformation from a young immigrant craftsman to an accomplished master cabinetmaker and an American icon.
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press
Exhibition Schedule:The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(12/20/11-05/06/12)Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
(06/20/12-09/11/12)
- ISBN10 0300155115
- ISBN13 9780300155112
- Publish Date 20 December 2011
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 9 March 2021
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Yale University Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 312
- Language English