Who was Thomas Sheraton?
(1751-1806)
Thomas Sheraton is one of the great names in the history of English cabinetwork. He was born in 1751 at Stockton-on-Tees and died in 1806 in London and reared in humble surroundings. His life was one of sordid poverty and disappointment largely due to his own eccentric character. Even his books of furniture designs, which have accorded him an eminent place in English furniture history, were not a financial success.
His varied career as Baptist preacher, inventor, mechanic, mystic, author, artist, teacher and furniture designer discloses the strange blend of his character. He was a man of much ability and resource and he possessed great artistic talent, but unfortunately he was his own enemy.
Around 1790 he settled in London; he was married and had two children. A few years later he was living in a humble residence
in Broad Street, Soho, where he spent his time in writing and in giving drawing lessons. He apparently converted half of his home into a shop. It is not known to what extent, if any, he carried on the business of cabinetmaking. Such evidence as is available reveals that from about 1793 he supported his family by his various publications.
From 1791 to 1794 he published his first book on furniture, entitled THE CABINETMAKER AND UPHOLSTERER'S DRAWING BOOK
in four parts. A third edition appeared in 1802.
The DRAWING BOOK was undoubtedly Thomas Sheraton's most important work and his fame largely rests upon it. The Classic Revival as developed in the style of Robert Adam and in the Louis XVI style was evident in his designs in this book. His greatest asset was his adaptability. He studied French furniture fashions with the utmost care and he produced many close adaptations of the Louis XVI style. Although he freely adapted the works of others, he was able through his special
genius, especially his sense of style, to impart an original beauty and grace to his drawings. These designs are praiseworthy for their splendid draftsmanship, and his book was extensively employed by cabinetmakers both in England and in America. Like the earlier pattern books of Chippendale and Hepplewhite it served as an important formative factor in contemporary cabinetwork. In the different parts of England more than six hundred cabinetmakers, joiners
and upholsterers subscribed to the book, which
shows the wide distribution of these designs.
In 1803 he published THE CABINET DICTIONARY CONTAINING AN EXPLANATION OF ALL THE TERMS USED IN THE CABINET, CHAIR AND UPHOLSTERY BRANCHES, WITH DIRECTIONS FOR VARNISHING, POLISHING AND GILDING.
The CABINET DICTIONARY, which was Thomas Sheraton's second publication, contained 88 copper plate engravings in addition
to supplementary articles on drawing and painting. In these designs Sheraton often adopted and interpreted special features
of the French Directoire style. Some of these designs began to show deterioration and did not display the same high quality
of draftsmanship as the designs appearing in the DRAWING BOOK.
In 1805 he published the first part of his last work, which he never lived to finish, entitled THE CABINET-MAKER, UPHOLSTERER AND GENERAL ARTIST'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA. This was to be completed in 125 parts of which the author lived to publish only thirty.
In this third and unfinished publication, the ENCYCLOPAEDIA, the signs of deterioration evident in the CABINET DICTIONARY
became more pronounced and sometimes bordered on the bizarre. The drawings, which were in color, were of mediocre draftsmanship and showed specimens of the Empire style as developed in England. The graceful delicacy, lightness and finished detail so characteristic of Sheraton's earlier work was completely lacking in the cumbrous and often grotesque features displayed in his drawings of the French Empire style.
After his death, in 1812 there was published a volume entitled DESIGNS FOR HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE EXHIBITING A VARIETY OF ELEGANT AND USEFUL PATTERNS IN THE CABINET, CHAIR AND UPHOLSTERY BRANCHES ON EIGHTY-FOUR PLATES. This work consisted chiefly of plates from his earlier CABINET DICTIONARY and his ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
