Italian, Venice
Sofa, mid 18th century
Painted walnut, 71 x 203.6 x 76.6 cm (27 15/16 x 80 3/16 x 30 3/16 in.)
This painted walnut sofa is divided into three sections by curved bands running from the legs through the rails. The center of each section is marked by a shell carved in low relief. The surfaces are decorated by tendrils, leaves, and flowers painted in ochre and yellow against an olive colored background. The sofa is upholstered with a green, formal floral brocade. It has a long cushion that goes across the entire sofa of the same fabric.
Little Salon
Commentary
This sofa is divided into three sections by continuous bands that run from the legs through the curvilinear rails. A shell carved in low relief marks the center of each section. Tendrils, leaves, and small flowers painted in ochre and yellow decorate the surfaces. It is not known where Isabella purchased this sofa but it was in the Music Room of her Brookline home, Green Hill, in the late 1890s. Music is also a theme in the Little Salon where it now resides.