Pa. German Chair c. 1940

Rosa Burger made this watercolor painting of a Pennsylvania German chair, sometime between 1855 and 1995. The chair is shown with a simple side profile, and we can see the artist has paid close attention to the construction of the object, including the joinery. Most likely, the original chair would have been made from wood, possibly oak or pine, materials readily available in rural Pennsylvania. It was likely turned on a lathe, and painted with milk paint. The fraktur style design on the back suggests a link to the decorative arts traditions brought to the United States by German immigrants. The chair is a humble, handmade object, created for everyday use, not high art, which speaks to the important contributions of craftspeople and vernacular design to our material culture.