French Chair

In furnishing his executive residences, George Washington wanted to convey that Americans were not unsophisticated and provincial, as European stereotypes often portrayed them. In 1790, when French minister Elénor-François-Elie, Comte de Moustier returned to Europe, Washington took over his New York City residence and purchased many of its stylish French furnishings. Items like this upholstered side chair, part of a matching set, demonstrated to visitors that the American president maintained elegantly appointed interiors despite his distance from the style centers of Europe. The white paint and green and yellow silk upholstery are modern treatments.

Gift of W. W. Corcoran, 1878 [W-217/A]