Italian, Rome
Window Seat or Upholstered Bench (Divano a panchetta), about 1780
Painted and gilded walnut, pine, and chestnut, 81 x 211 x 50.5 cm (31 7/8 x 83 1/16 x 19 7/8 in.)
A long rectangular, backless, wooden Italian bench with open sides and an upholstered seat of a brocade with a pink floral pattern on a green ground. Both light green and gold piping decorative rectangular sloping arms of the bench have a carved face of a lion on the top and end, as well as a leaf motif where the arms meet the gilded apron. Behind the lion on the other top corner is another raised flower. Running along all sides of the apron, there is a raised festoon and tassel motif. The bench has six arrow-pointed tapered legs, each adorned with notched fluting, a small festoon and tassel.
Raphael Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.