Throughout the colonial period the sofa was a costly and rare domestic form. Although craftsmen began to produce it more often during the late eighteenth century, it remained an uncommon type of seating furniture. Regarding a sofa’s dimensions, George Hepplewhite advised, “[they] vary according to the size of the room and pleasure of the purchaser. The following is the proportion in general use: length between 6 and 7 feet, depth about 30 inches, height of the seat frame 14 inches: total height in back 3 feet 1 inch.” During the Neoclassical period, the sofa frame’s contours dramatically evolved. Some, like this example, display subtle changes from their predecessors, and others introduce a variety of new shapes.

The Bayou Bend sofa belongs to a small group identified with the New York area. While it retains Rococo elements, the overall shape is reminiscent of a Hepplewhite design that successfully integrates Neoclassical motifs, notably, the combination of its Rococo-derived flared arms and the classically inspired arched back and tapered legs. These features realize a design that is both cohesive and unique.  

Technical notes: Mahogany; birch (seat rails), eastern white pine (back medial stile, crest rail). The back retains its original sacking. 

Related examples: The sofa is constructed in the same manner as the one illustrated in Levy Gallery 1986, p. 72. Another example is Blackburn 1976, p. 70, no. 40.  

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.