Object details
Accession number
F1n3
Primary Creator
Italian, Northern Italy
Full title
Chest of Drawers (Cassettone)
Creation Date
first half of 18th century
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection at an unknown date.
Dimensions
87 x 94 x 51.3 cm (34 1/4 x 37 x 20 3/16 in.)
Display Media
Painted pine
Web Commentary
Composed of four drawers, this chest of drawers is set on feet carved with volutes and flowers at the center; the rear feet are simple brackets. It is framed by flat moldings. The drawer fronts are painted with landscapes, while the sides are painted with a sailing ship, and a galleon near the coast. The wave motif in the cornice supporting the top indicates that this piece was made in Northern Italy.
A cassettone of the same size and style, painted in a nearly identical manner, belonged to Carlo Gamba Ghiselli (1870-1963) of Florence. Given the highly specialized characteristics shared by the two chest, they are likely a pair.
Permanent Gallery Location
Yellow Room
Bibliography
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 17. (Italian, 19th century)
Fausto Calderai and Alan Chong. Furnishing a Museum: Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Collection of Italian Furniture (Boston, 2011), pp. 62-63, no. 12.
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.