Grand Designs: Neoclassical Taste in the 18th Century

Rienzi Center for European Decorative Arts, MFAH presents Grand Designs: Neoclassical Taste in the 18th Century on view September 17, 2016 — February 20, 2017.

Rienzi, the MFAH house museum for European decorative arts, presents special exhibitions twice a year. Grand Designs: Neoclassical Taste in the 18th Century comprises furniture, decor, and prints from the era.

The focus of this exhibition is The Dundas Sofa, a magnificent work commissioned by Sir Lawrence Dundas from architect Robert Adam and furniture maker Thomas Chippendale.

Among the other objects on view are the porcelain sculpture Figure of Hercules and the Nemean Lion, manufactured by Ludwigsburg Porcelain Factory; a ewer by silversmith Paul de Lamerie; and prints illustrating the decorative work of Robert Adam and his brother James.

Pictured: Designed by Robert Adam, made by Thomas Chippendale, The Dundas Sofa, 1765, gilt pine, beech, and silk upholstery, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Brown Foundation Accessions Endowment Fund.