18Th Century Furniture Makers - The Big Three

18Th Century Furniture Makers - The Big Three

In the 18th century, the 'big three' furniture makers are undoubtedly Thomas Chippendale, Thomas Sheraton and George Hepplewhite. Furniture Makers

Thomas Chippendale is among the most famous of all the. He had been a cabinet furniture and maker designer based in London. Styles ranged from English with deep carving, elaborate anglicised rococo, Chinese style with latticework and lacquer, and Gothic with pointed fret, quatrefoils and arches-worked legs. In later years he adopted the Neoclassical style. His father was joiner and possibly the person that got Thomas began in the trade.

He was the very first cabinet-maker to publish a book of his designs, which had been referred to as Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director, published in 1754. This influenced various other cabinet makers and illustrated nearly every kind of mid-18th century domestic furniture.

Chippendale was an interior designer in addition to a cabinet maker. He advised on soft furnishings as well as the overall appearance that a room needs to have. His work was desired by the famous and rich and then he frequently took commissions from the aristocracy.

He died of TB in 1779 but has become commemorated using a full size statue in the V&A Museum and a memorial plaque may be found in Otley, Yorkshire (his probable birthplace) outside the old Prince Henry's Grammar School. His son the exact same name went carried on the family unit business.

Thomas Sheraton also worked in the uk from 1790 as being a professional consultant and architecturearchitecture and design teacher.

His designs were based on classical architecture and can be categorised as Neoclassical. These people were often created from inlaid satinwood. Whilst he was a designer, there is no evidence which he actually come up with pieces himself. Only one piece  can certainly be credited to him - a glass fronted bookcase which bears the stamp T.S inside one drawer. Furniture Makers

Sheraton also published an influential work - "The Cabinet Upholsterer's and Maker's Drawing Book" which was available to the general public in 1791 - it greatly influenced English and American design. Also, he published "The Cabinet Dictionary" in 1803, explaining the strategies of furniture making and upholstery. His last book was volume 1 of "Cabinet General, Maker and Upholsterer Artist's Encyclopaedia" in 1805. He died in 1806.

George Hepplewhite is definitely the last of the 'big three'. He also worked inside london but being a man, little is actually known about him.

His name is recognized for a slender, elegant furniture style and particularly to get a large shield shape on chair backs. No pieces created by him or his firm are viewed to exist now.

He died in 1786 and then in 1788, his widow Alice published "The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterers Guide", featuring about 300 of his designs. Some state that George Hepplewhite is in fact only a pen term for Alice since it is so hard to find proof the guy.

Hepplewhite's designs only really found fame following the date of his death.

Chippendale and his awesome contemporaries were excellent furniture designers and influenced the cabinet makers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Their publications and designs are so important that they can carry on and influence people as furniture design evolves through the entire ages.