19th Century An Age of Revivals 1800-1901
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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by David J LeBeau MFA AM(ASA)USPAP(06)©2008
The Newark Museum in Newark, New Jersey presented an exhibition entitled "Century of Revivals, Nineteenth-Century American Furniture from the Collection of The Newark Museum" (September 26, 1982 - July 5, 1983). The curator of that glorious exhibition was Mr. Ulysses G. Dietz. In his commentary printed in The Newark Museum Quarterly (Pg. 7, Vol. 31, Nos. 2-3-Spring/Summer 1980), Mr. Dietz states that, " ... By the beginning of the nineteenth century, however, a more literal approach to borrowing from the antique was taken, and the Empire or Regency styles of the early 1800s constituted the first of the new revival styles:” He goes on to say. " ... Revival styles in American furniture shared a common basis: All were in some way romantic evocations of past eras literalized in wood and fabric."
Indisputably, the most visible and influential figure of the latter half of the 19th century was Queen Victoria. Alexandrina Victoria was born May 24th, 1819, and upon the death of her uncle William IV in 1837 she ascended the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Subsequently, she acquired the title of Empress of India in 1876 and she died on January 22th, 1901. Her reign lasted sixty three years and seven months, longer than that of any other British monarch to date. The English decorative Arts period centered on her reign is known as the Victorian Period (1837-1901).
It has been the custom, in the professional upscale auction houses of England and the continent, to use the names of monarchs to denote the place and period of origin of an artifact. This was a rather simple and effective method when the objects being discussed behaved themselves and fit neatly into historically recognizable design cubbyholes. However, designs were adopted and adapted from those in use during the reigns of European monarchs, to use in far flung places by many cultures that did not owe allegiance to the thrones of Europe. A piece of furniture that owes its design genesis to an ébéniste or to an author of a book of furniture design published in London must be identified by its own chronological, geographic and stylistic origin. Thus, a dining table constructed in London in the late 19th century would be dated and identified as English by the phrase: "A Victorian Dining Table". However, due to the extraordinarily long reign and the swift adoption of new styles during the period, it is necessary to amend the phrase with the style name of the piece in question, i.e., "A Victorian, Rococo Revival, Dining Table". Furthermore, if evidence exists that conclusively indicates the precise year of manufacture, the phrase should be further amended as follows: "A Victorian, Rococo Revival, Dining Table, 1859". The appellation "Victorian" refers only to the period between 1837 and 1901 and only to the people and places governed by Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria never ruled the United States or any part thereof. Therefore, if it was made anywhere in the United States it is not “Victorian”. The use of one of the revival terms is the correct nomenclature. Thus a piece of Rococo Revival furniture manufactured in the mid 19th century in the city of New York is just that, a New York City piece in the Rococo Revival taste. It is in no way justifiably labeled as “Victorian.” However, a comparable piece made between 1837 and 1901 in the UK, or anywhere else in the British Empire, in fact, is “Victorian.”
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The Newark Museum in Newark, New Jersey presented an exhibition entitled "Century of Revivals, Nineteenth-Century American Furniture from the Collection of The Newark Museum" (September 26, 1982 - July 5, 1983). The curator of that glorious exhibition was Mr. Ulysses G. Dietz. In his commentary printed in The Newark Museum Quarterly (Pg. 7, Vol. 31, Nos. 2-3-Spring/Summer 1980), Mr. Dietz states that, " ... By the beginning of the nineteenth century, however, a more literal approach to borrowing from the antique was taken, and the Empire or Regency styles of the early 1800s constituted the first of the new revival styles:” He goes on to say. " ... Revival styles in American furniture shared a common basis: All were in some way romantic evocations of past eras literalized in wood and fabric."
Indisputably, the most visible and influential figure of the latter half of the 19th century was Queen Victoria. Alexandrina Victoria was born May 24th, 1819, and upon the death of her uncle William IV in 1837 she ascended the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Subsequently, she acquired the title of Empress of India in 1876 and she died on January 22th, 1901. Her reign lasted sixty three years and seven months, longer than that of any other British monarch to date. The English decorative Arts period centered on her reign is known as the Victorian Period (1837-1901).
It has been the custom, in the professional upscale auction houses of England and the continent, to use the names of monarchs to denote the place and period of origin of an artifact. This was a rather simple and effective method when the objects being discussed behaved themselves and fit neatly into historically recognizable design cubbyholes. However, designs were adopted and adapted from those in use during the reigns of European monarchs, to use in far flung places by many cultures that did not owe allegiance to the thrones of Europe. A piece of furniture that owes its design genesis to an ébéniste or to an author of a book of furniture design published in London must be identified by its own chronological, geographic and stylistic origin. Thus, a dining table constructed in London in the late 19th century would be dated and identified as English by the phrase: "A Victorian Dining Table". However, due to the extraordinarily long reign and the swift adoption of new styles during the period, it is necessary to amend the phrase with the style name of the piece in question, i.e., "A Victorian, Rococo Revival, Dining Table". Furthermore, if evidence exists that conclusively indicates the precise year of manufacture, the phrase should be further amended as follows: "A Victorian, Rococo Revival, Dining Table, 1859". The appellation "Victorian" refers only to the period between 1837 and 1901 and only to the people and places governed by Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria never ruled the United States or any part thereof. Therefore, if it was made anywhere in the United States it is not “Victorian”. The use of one of the revival terms is the correct nomenclature. Thus a piece of Rococo Revival furniture manufactured in the mid 19th century in the city of New York is just that, a New York City piece in the Rococo Revival taste. It is in no way justifiably labeled as “Victorian.” However, a comparable piece made between 1837 and 1901 in the UK, or anywhere else in the British Empire, in fact, is “Victorian.”
(Click Read More below for the rest of the article)
