Description:
Completed in 1903 by artist Madeline Yale Wynne (1847-1918), this chest with drawer is a tour-de-force of Arts and Crafts design. Known as Garden of Hearts for its landscape of three inverted heart-shaped trees along a winding river, the chest showcases Wynne’s talents as a painter, metalsmith, and woodworker. The carved landscape composition on the lid interior features three orange trees--two in bloom and one bearing fruit--with inverted heart-shaped foliage before a meandering river and distant mountains; two white rabbits are nestled in the corners. Wynne described her motif as follows: “The river of life flows through the garden and the web of circumstances, some of earth, some heaven-born, binds all together.” Each of these elements is carved, painted, and accentuated with gold paint. Framing the painting and filling the upper corners of the lid are insect wings made from hammered copper set with stones surrounded by eight blue painted butterflies. The lid has on its exterior a low-relief design featuring a large tree with two elves and rabbits and a distinguished peacock hammered out of copper. The lid is attached to the chest with wrought iron strap hinges terminating in circles enclosing cabochons set on copper work. Five hand hammered copper panels with floral patterns decorate the facade and sides of the chest. The back of the chest is inscribed "MADE / IN / AMERICA / 1903 / MYW."
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2023.3 |
