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Bearded gentleman facing left, seated. White shirt, black neck tie. Hammer in left hand, upholstered chair leaning against knees. Right hand lifting red upholstery on a Rococo revival side chair. Scissors, screwdriver(?) and third tool attach to wall at left of portrait. Frame is not original.
portraits
paintings (visual works)
oil paint (paint)
canvas
Picture
Portrait
Portrait
"Cherished Possessions": Despite the rapidly improving technology that was changing industries across New England in the nineteenth century, upholstery remained a labor-intensive trade requiring highly skilled craftsmanship. The upholsterer in this portrait is doing the work typical of a custom shop, using high-quality materials and traditional techniques to build the foundation of the seat. His tools are those that upholsterers had used for centuries. He is shown holding a tack hammer to fasten down the red silk damask show cover; a circular needle and shears are supported by a strip of leather nailed to the wall behind him, along with a third tool, most likely a regulator, used to arrange the upholstery stuffing.
"Artful Stories": Upholstery has always been a labor-intensive trade requiring highly skilled craftsmanship. This man is doing the work typical of a custom shop, using high-quality materials, traditional techniques, and the same tools that upholsterers had used for centuries. While we have not discovered the figures identity, he appears to be someone who was proud of his trade. Clearly he had succeeded to such a degree that he could afford to commission a costly portrait.
Inscribed in lower right: ""F. Cuypers/ 1852/ Boston""
Cuypers, Franciscus Reinerus Hubertus, 1820-1866 (Artist)
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
46 x 41 1/2 (HxW) (inches)
Museum Purchase
2000.591
Massachusetts (United States)
Boston (Suffolk county, Massachusetts)
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