Attributed to John Goddard (American, 1723–1785)
Newport, Rhode Island
High Chest of Drawers
INV-7407
Attributed to John Goddard (American, 1723–1785)
Newport, Rhode Island1755–85
High Chest of Drawers
Attributed to John Goddard (American, 1723–1785) Newport, Rhode Island →case furniturefurniture
Date
1755–85
Medium
Mahogany with chestnut and white pine
Dimensions
219.4 × 101.6 × 54.6 cm (86 3/8 × 40 × 21 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Helen Bowen Blair Fund
Along with Philadelphia and Boston, Newport, Rhode Island, was one of the three leading furniture-making centers in colonial America. Newport benefited from its location on coastal trade routes between England and the West Indies, and its merchants were among the wealthiest and most influential figures in the colonies. The finest Newport furniture came from the Goddard and Townsend shops, whose most notable pieces were completed before the Revolution. This high chest is attributed to John Goddard. Goddard's marriage to the daughter of Job Townsend joined the two families, beginning a virtual furniture-making dynasty that remained active into the following century.