Samuel Field McIntire (American, 1780–1819)
Mantel
INV-7570
Samuel Field McIntire (American, 1780–1819)1813
furniture accessoryamerican decorative arts
Date
1813
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
139.7 × 185.4 × 16.5 cm (55 × 73 × 6 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by the Antiquarian Society
Samuel Field McIntire, the son of the Salem architect-craftsman Samuel McIntire, carved this mantel for the 1813 alteration of Oak Hill, Elizabeth Derby West’s country estate in South Danvers, Massachusetts. Continuing work begun by his father, who designed coordinated interiors for Oak Hill in 1800, Field McIntire enhanced the home with further decorations. He followed his father’s style, carving ornament—including grape vines, cornucopia, and baskets of fruit and flowers—as well as architectural details, such as dentil molding and the Greek key motif, that bespeak reserved Federal design in America.