Skip to main content
The figures in the upholstery may refer to the story of Atalanta that was popular in Classical Greece and continued to be recounted by the Romans (Atlante in Greek; Atalanta in Latin). In the story, Atalanta’s father tried to persuade her to marry. But Atalanta did not want to give up the freedom she had in the woods. She consented to marry only if a man could outrun her in a race. Many men tried but none could keep up with her. One young man, Hippomenes, watched in awe as Atalanta won in one of her races. As she sped by the maiden seemed as swift and graceful as a falcon. Hippomenes fell deeply in love with Atalanta and prayed to Venus for help since he knew he could never outrun the beautiful huntress. Venus, the goddess of love, heard Hippomenes and gave him three apples of pure gold. Venus told him to use the golden apples in the race and then she vanished.
Hippomenes challenged Atalanta to a race. When she saw Hippomenes, she was struck by the beauty of his golden hair and the smoothness of his face. Still, her desire for the freedom of the forest tugged at her heart. She felt she must try to outrun this young, handsome man. The race began and Atalanta soon outpaced the youth, but Hippomenes tossed down one of the golden apples so that it landed near her feet and rolled to the side. Atalanta stopped to pick it up and Hippomenes was able to catch up with her. Soon Atalanta began to pull ahead once more and Hippomenes threw a second golden apple a little further to the side. When Atalanta had gathered in this apple, Hippomenes had gotten ahead. Once again Atalanta's legs picked up the pace and she moved into the lead. Now the young man hurled the final apple further to the side than the other two. Atalanta swerved to the side to grab it. Hippomenes now had a larger lead than before. But Atalanta ran faster than anyone had ever seen her. Then suddenly the race was over. Hippomenes crossed the finish line just barely a step in front of Atalanta.
Atalanta and Hippomenes were married but no one saw them after the wedding feast. It is said that Atalanta and her husband were changed into lions. Thus Atalanta and her golden-maned companion continued as swift hunters of the forest for the rest of their days.
Although no golden apples are included in the scenes on the chair backs, the backgrounds are worked in golden threads, which suggest the relationship of the pictures to the Atalanta story.
The barley twist, so prominently displayed in these chairs, is thought to be Hispano-Moresque in origin. The design feature came to England with the marriage of Katherine of Braganza to Charles II in 1661. The name for this feature, which is sometimes called barley-sugar twist, derives from a brittle, amber-colored candy, usually twisted or molded into strips.
ProvenanceFrom 1964
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC, acquired in 1964. [1]
Notes:
[1] In the early 1960s Charles H. Babcock (1899-1967) gave the house and its contents to the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. The house was then incorporated as a museum and collection (Reynolda House, Inc.) on December 18, 1964 with the signing of the charter at its first board meeting. The museum first opened to the public in September 1965.
DepartmentHistoric House
Armchair
Datecirca 1917
Mediumwalnut, upholstery
DimensionsOverall: 37 3/4 x 26 x 25 in. (95.9 x 66 x 63.5 cm)
Credit LineReynolda Estate
CopyrightPublic Domain
Object number1922.2.78
DescriptionOne of a pair of Jacobean-style walnut open armchairs with barley-twist legs, stretchers and arm supports, the latter terminating in figures of crouched lions, and rectangular backs and seats upholstered in wool gros-point tapestry worked in polychrome and gold and trimmed with polychrome wool-and-tassel fringe. The upholstery scenes on the backs of the two chairs are different. This example shows a woman in drapery seeming to run from two men dressed as Roman soldiers; while the other shows three men dressed as Roman soldiers. The figures in the upholstery may refer to the story of Atalanta that was popular in Classical Greece and continued to be recounted by the Romans (Atlante in Greek; Atalanta in Latin). In the story, Atalanta’s father tried to persuade her to marry. But Atalanta did not want to give up the freedom she had in the woods. She consented to marry only if a man could outrun her in a race. Many men tried but none could keep up with her. One young man, Hippomenes, watched in awe as Atalanta won in one of her races. As she sped by the maiden seemed as swift and graceful as a falcon. Hippomenes fell deeply in love with Atalanta and prayed to Venus for help since he knew he could never outrun the beautiful huntress. Venus, the goddess of love, heard Hippomenes and gave him three apples of pure gold. Venus told him to use the golden apples in the race and then she vanished.
Hippomenes challenged Atalanta to a race. When she saw Hippomenes, she was struck by the beauty of his golden hair and the smoothness of his face. Still, her desire for the freedom of the forest tugged at her heart. She felt she must try to outrun this young, handsome man. The race began and Atalanta soon outpaced the youth, but Hippomenes tossed down one of the golden apples so that it landed near her feet and rolled to the side. Atalanta stopped to pick it up and Hippomenes was able to catch up with her. Soon Atalanta began to pull ahead once more and Hippomenes threw a second golden apple a little further to the side. When Atalanta had gathered in this apple, Hippomenes had gotten ahead. Once again Atalanta's legs picked up the pace and she moved into the lead. Now the young man hurled the final apple further to the side than the other two. Atalanta swerved to the side to grab it. Hippomenes now had a larger lead than before. But Atalanta ran faster than anyone had ever seen her. Then suddenly the race was over. Hippomenes crossed the finish line just barely a step in front of Atalanta.
Atalanta and Hippomenes were married but no one saw them after the wedding feast. It is said that Atalanta and her husband were changed into lions. Thus Atalanta and her golden-maned companion continued as swift hunters of the forest for the rest of their days.
Although no golden apples are included in the scenes on the chair backs, the backgrounds are worked in golden threads, which suggest the relationship of the pictures to the Atalanta story.
The barley twist, so prominently displayed in these chairs, is thought to be Hispano-Moresque in origin. The design feature came to England with the marriage of Katherine of Braganza to Charles II in 1661. The name for this feature, which is sometimes called barley-sugar twist, derives from a brittle, amber-colored candy, usually twisted or molded into strips.
ProvenanceFrom 1964
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC, acquired in 1964. [1]
Notes:
[1] In the early 1960s Charles H. Babcock (1899-1967) gave the house and its contents to the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. The house was then incorporated as a museum and collection (Reynolda House, Inc.) on December 18, 1964 with the signing of the charter at its first board meeting. The museum first opened to the public in September 1965.
Status
On viewcirca 1917
Matching/Matching
