What is a Gainsborough chair?

A Gainsborough chair is a wide, open-armed library armchair featuring a padded back and seat with exposed wooden legs. It was designed for comfort during reading and writing in eighteenth-century libraries. Cabinet makers of the Georgian era produced these chairs with mahogany frames, often incorporating carved cabriole or straight supports.

How do I identify a Georgian reading chair?

Georgian reading chairs are identified through their period timber frames, typical furniture forms such as wingbacks or corner seats, and traditional joinery. Evidence shows they date from the reigns of George I through George III. These pieces usually feature mahogany or walnut construction, accompanied by upholstery in leather, damask, or linen reflecting eighteenth-century design standards.

Where were reading chairs used?

Reading chairs were placed in libraries, studies, morning rooms, and parlours where gentlemen and ladies engaged in study or correspondence. Their specific forms catered to prolonged sitting. Wing variants protected sitters from draughts near fireplaces, while corner desk chairs provided stable seating for writing and reading at tables.

What materials are common on these chairs?

Solid mahogany and walnut form the primary wooden structures for the majority of these seating pieces, with occasional elm and oak. Carved details and exposed frames showcase these hardwoods. Upholstery materials recorded in the evidence include leather, velvet, linen, fabric, and damask, secured with brass detailing on traditional frames.

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18th Century Reading Chair

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An 18th century reading chair provides specific seated comfort for library and study use, spanning library armchairs, wing chairs, and corner desk chairs.