Dower chestGary Wragg · 1784

Folk Art
1784
Reading Public Museum

The son of German immigrants, Christian Seltzer is considered to be the founder of the “Jonestown School” of chest makers. His decorative style was distinct yet variable. Many chest painters of this period used templates or repetitive designs, but his motifs rarely repeat, and he typically rendered vases and flowers freehand. The mottled background painting is a treatment suggestive of highly figured wood-graining and serves as a particularly effective ground to give emphasis to the arcaded panels surrounding the urn and stylized spiky floral motifs. The deep claret reddish-brown hue seen in the painted ornament on this chest was especially favored by the elder Seltzer.

Gary Wragg (1946 –)

Discover the abstract art of no alternate name found (b. 1946), a British painter known for his Color Field style & significant contributions to post-war abstraction. Influenced by Wu Kwong Yu, his work is held in major collections worldwide.

Reading Public Museum (Reading, United States of America)

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About this artwork

Title: Dower chest
Artist: Gary Wragg
Year: 1784
Format: Landscape
Copyright status: Under copyright
Where to see it: Reading Public Museum
Corpus context: wealth & storage, jonestown school style
Color palette: Neutrals
Keywords: wood grain painting, decorative chest art, artisan chest design
Perceived brightness: brilliant

Questions & Answers

How does the subject of "Dower chest" relate to Gary Wragg's usual themes?

"Dower chest" depicts vintage chest decor, floral motif art, 18th century design, hand painted woodwork, jonestown school style, claret red ornament, decorative arts piece, while Gary Wragg's recorded themes are seltzer's signature style, early 18th century chests, distinctive decorative motifs, german folk art, jonestown school style, wood-grained techniques, wealth & storage, domestic ornamentation. Comparing the two shows how the work relates to the artist's usual subjects.

What does "Dower chest" share with the rest of Gary Wragg's output?

"Dower chest" belongs to Gary Wragg's Folk Art work, whose recorded themes include seltzer's signature style, early 18th century chests, distinctive decorative motifs, german folk art, jonestown school style, wood-grained techniques, wealth & storage, domestic ornamentation.

Is "Dower chest" free of copyright?

The copyright answer for "Dower chest" by Gary Wragg: the work is still protected by copyright. This determines whether reproductions of the image may be freely made.