C H I P P E N DA L E DIRECTOR
••
prospectus
bound in half-leather and presented in a suede lined clamshell box
Thomas Chippendale’s
O R I G I N A L D R AW I N G S for
THE DIRECTOR
••
with elucidations by
MORRISON HECKSCHER further remarks by FEMKE SPEELBERG and an appreciation by DAVID SNOWDON
THORNWILLOW Ars Omnia Tuetur
T
HOMAS CHIPPENDALE FIRST ANNOUNCED HIS PLAN TO PUBLISH THE GENTLEMAN
A N D C A B I N E T M A K E R’ S D I R E C T O R IN MARCH, 1753. HE SOUGHT FOUR HUNDRED SUBSCRIBERS. THE BOOK APPEARED IN MAY 1754 AND INCLUDED a list of the original 308 patrons. The sumptuous folio, with 160 engraved plates, is the most famous of all furniture pattern books. Today, Thornwillow Press, in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, proudly announces its plan to publish Chippendale’s original pen-and-ink drawings from his 1754 volume for the first time. Of the 147 surviving drawings, 142 are at the Metropolitan. The edition is planned in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the artist’s birth, and will include a list of subscribers, together with introductory essays by Morrison Heckscher, former Chairman of the American Wing; Femke Speelberg, Associate Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints;
tall clock, thomas chippendale’s drawing for plate 135 in the director, 1754
and David Snowdon, Vice President of The Prince’s Foundation. The drawings are the precise images from which the engravings were made, identical in every detail, though, of course, printed in reverse. Yet, in another way, the two could hardly be less alike. Whereas the engravings are technically perfect, stylized and anonymous (one is hard-pressed to distinguish the work of various engravers), the drawings are vibrant and expressive: how precise the penciled geometry, how elegant the inked line, how effective the washed shadows, how unlike the rote work of a draftsman preparing somebody else’s sketches for the engraver! The drawings offer a unique window into Chippendale’s design process and the evolution of The Director. Until now, they have only been seen by those fortunate enough to be granted access to the original drawings in the Metropolitan Museum Collection. They are, in short, essential to the canon of craft and design. As established collectors know, Thornwillow
is noted for meticulously produced hand-made books that celebrate extraordinary ideas. This edition is no exception. The introductory essays will be printed letterpress on archival paper and the drawings will be the highest quality facsimile reproductions. Fifty copies are available bound in half-leather, and seventy-five in half-cloth. Each features handmade paste paper boards and letterpress endpapers in a pattern of Chippendale’s own design. This edition has been made possibile by the support of twenty-five patrons who have underwritten much of the production. As in Chippendale’s first edition, this project can only be realized with the support of subscribers committed to the arts. We now invite friends, scholars, and collectors to reserve their copies and participate in this historic tercentenary edition. For more information please contact us at (845) 569-8883 or lip@thornwillow.com
bound in half-cloth and handmade paste paper
thornwillow press Ars Omnia Tuetur CHIPPENDALE’S ORIGINAL DRAWINGS FOR THE DIRECTOR name: _____________________________________________________________ telephone: _____________________ email: __________________________ bill to: _________________________ ship to: ________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ select your volumes below: half-leather, $1,850 You will receive one copy bound in leather and handmade pastepaper, presented in a clamshell box. Edition size 25.
half-cloth, $425 You will receive one copy bound in cloth and handmade pastepaper. Edition size 75.
patron subscription, $10,000 Patron Subscribers will receive one copy bound in full leather, presented in a cloth clamshell box, as well as a copy of the half-cloth edition. This full leather edition is limited to only 25 copies. Patrons will have their names specially noted in the subscription register and will be recognized for their help in underwriting the scholarly edition. This publication will not be possible without the support of 25 Patron Subscribers.
FU
SUB Y LL
IB SCR
ED
to order online please visit: www.thornwillow.com/chippendale
For payments by credit card, please provide the following information:
type of card: ___________________ card #: _________________________ exp. date: ______________________
Shipping, handling, sales tax and custom fees dependent upon order. Please add $30 for shipping/handling within the US, International orders please call the Press. Please send payments by check to: Thornwillow Press, Ltd. P.O. Box 982 Newburgh, NY 12551, USA
cvv code: _______________________ signature: _______________________ 25 spring street newburgh, new york • telephone (845) 569-8883 www. thornwillow.com • email: mail@thornwillow.com