The Driehaus Museum will soon be hosting an exhibition of works titled “The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design.”The show features 37 examples of American chairs that were created between 1810 and 2010. The selection reflects national history, culture, and arts through design that creates form and function. The exhibit showcases chairs that we as viewers are highly familiar with to ones that have never been exhibited before. It charts the art of seating from the late-nineteenth century Aesthetic Movement that depicts hand-craftsmanship and ornamentation to today’s postmodern chairs. “The Art of Seating” is a journey into furniture design through the works of John Henry Belter, Frank Lloyd Wright, Isamu Noguchi, and Frank Gehry among others. It also features historic designs by manufacturers such as Knoll, Herman Miller, and Steelcase. The central highlight of the exhibition is the House of Representatives Chamber Arm Chair from 1857. It was designed by Thomas U. Walter, who was also the architect of the Capitol Building from 1851 to 1865. It was created to be used in the halls of Congress and used by leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.The Richard H. Driehaus Museum is housed in a 19th-century residential building in Chicago. It was the former home of banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson and his wife, Mathilda Pinkham Crosby Nickerson. The museum was founded by philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus on April 1, 2003. A 5-year restoration process was initiated to preserve the interiors and the structure of the building. The museum houses a collection of fine and decorative arts and works by designers such as George A. Schastey and Louis Comfort Tiffany.“The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design” runs from February 10 through August 11, 2018 at The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, 40 E Erie St, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.For details, visit: http://www.driehausmuseum.org/Click on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the exhibition.  Read more