The Livingstons' best New York City Federal furniture

Magazine Antiques, May, 1997 by Philip Zimmerman

The French tapestry covers on the sofas are very rare for furniture made or used in America. Although much French-made seating was owned in America, the great majority had silk covers. Among the rare pieces with French tapestry upholstery is an extraordinary set of sixteen New York armchairs and two sofas covered with Aubusson tapestries, which are believed to have been made for James Beekman Jr. of New York City about 1820.(15) Documentary evidence, although rare, also confirms that French tapestries were available in New York in the early nineteenth century. On July 10, 1801, Harman G. Rutgers and Company (1796-1808) of New York City offered in the New York Mercantile Advertiser: "For sale, 4 handsome pieces of Tapestry, of Gobelin Manufacture. They will be disposed of at a reasonable price and are to be seen at Adam's Hotel in William-street every day from 4 to 6 o'clock."(16)

Thus, while it is possible that the Aubusson tapestries were acquired in New York City, it seems more likely that they were acquired in Europe, for in the early nineteenth century, Aubusson (actually a conglomerate of small operations weaving to centralized designs and standards) was providing widely to European markets. The tapestries were probably acquired by Margaret Maria Livingston and her husband (and third cousin), Robert L. Livingston (1775-1843), when they were in France between 1801 and 1805 assisting her father, Robert R. Livingston, in his role as ambassador.(17) Upon their return to the United States, Margaret Maria and Robert L. Livingston could well have had the sofas made for Clermont (built c. 1730), their elegant estate by the Hudson River south of Albany, New York. Emblazoned with lush pictures framed in rich borders, the woven French covers were very much in keeping with the highest taste of the day and would have provided visitors to the Livingstons' house with a vivid and memorable sight one that is no less startling today thanks to the preservation of the brilliant colors.

The effect of the cabinet would have been no less stunning, communicating knowledge of current London fashions. While it is tempting to restore the cabinet to its original glory, it is perhaps more important to leave it in its present condition. The remarkable cabinetry is readily visible, and the poor state encourages viewers to look at the piece more carefully and critically, providing a greater understanding of it.

These three pieces of Livingston family furniture show that New York Federal furniture makers were capable of style and opulence far beyond what is conventionally acknowledged. They and their patrons brought high-style London and Paris fashions to New York and combined them in distinctly American expressions.

I am grateful to Frank M. Levy and to Margaret K. Hofer and Richard Gallerani of the New-York Historical Society for their assistance in the preparation of this article. Special thanks are due to Edith A. Standen for her help identifying the French tapestry furniture covers.