In the 18th century, the ‘big three’ furniture makers are undoubtedly Thomas Chippendale, Thomas Sheraton and George Hepplewhite.
Thomas Chippendale is probably the most famous of all. He was a cabinetmaker and furniture designer based in London. Styles ranged from English with deep carvings, elaborate Anglo-Saxon Rococo, Chinese style with latticework and lacquer, and Gothic with pointed arches, quatrefoils, and openwork legs. In later years he adopted the neoclassical style. His father was a carpenter and probably the person who introduced Thomas to the trade.
He was the first cabinetmaker to publish a book of his designs, which was called The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director, published in 1754. This influenced many other cabinetmakers and illustrated almost every type of mid-18th century domestic furniture.
Chippendale was an interior designer and cabinetmaker. He advised on furniture and the general look a room should have. His work was desired by the rich and famous and he often received commissions from the aristocracy.
He died of tuberculosis in 1779, but has been commemorated with a full-size statue in the V&A Museum and a commemorative plaque can be found in Otley, Yorkshire (his likely birthplace) outside the old Prince Henry Grammar School. His son of the same name was brought out in the family business.
Thomas Sheraton also worked in London from 1790 as a professional consultant and professor of architecture and design.
His designs were based on classical architecture and can be classified as neoclassical. They were often made of satin-finished wood with inlays. Although he was a designer, there is no evidence that he actually created the pieces himself. Actually, he can only be credited with one piece: a glass-fronted bookcase bearing the TS seal inside a drawer.
Sheraton also published an influential work, “The Cabinetmaker and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book,” which became available to the public in 1791, which greatly influenced English and American design. He also published “The Cabinet Dictionary” in 1803, explaining furniture and upholstery making techniques. The last book by him was Volume 1 of “Cabinetmaker, Upholsterer and Artists General Encyclopedia” in 1805. He died in 1806.
George Hepplewhite is the last of the ‘big three’. He also worked in London, but as a man, very little is known about him.
His name is known for a style of slender and elegant furniture and, in particular, for a large shield shape on the backs of chairs. No pieces made by him or his signature are believed to exist now.
He died in 1786, and in 1788, his widow Alice published “The Cabinetmaker’s and Upholsterer’s Guide”, featuring around 300 of his designs. Some claim that George Hepplewhite is actually just a pseudonym for Alice because evidence of the man is so hard to find.
Hepplewhite’s designs only found fame after the date of his death.
Chippendale and his contemporaries were excellent furniture designers and influenced cabinetmakers in the 19th and 20th centuries. His designs and publications are so important that they will continue to influence people as furniture design evolves through the centuries.
