"John Townsend: Newport Cabinetmaker is a landmark presentation of a supreme cabinetmaker. It presents a catalogue of the documented oeuvre of John Townsend (1733-1809), the great Newport cabinetmaker, and describes the community of skilled makers in which he worked. It gives an unparalleled view of the physical and economical realities of Newport and of the artisanal culture that nourished cabinetmakers who were among the best to ever work in America." "Numerous works by John Townsend's contemporaries are illustrated, giving a detailed look at the differences and similarities among various approaches to the same forms. New photography allows Townsend's masterpieces to be seen more accurately and richly than ever before; numerous depictions of undersides and inlays are published for the first time."--BOOK JACKET.

Boston had long set the style in cabinetmaking and much else in New England, but in the late eighteenth century, Newport experienced an extraordinary period of prosperity during which it challenged Boston standards. Chief among the large group of craftsmen that brought fame to Newport was John Townsend (American, 1733¿́¿1809). One of the few cabinetmakers to sign and date his work, suggesting an acute historical awareness, Townsend seems to have sought perfection compulsively. This precision and fastidious attention to detail allowed him to create rich, elegant work in which he was able to display his hallmark motif¿́¿the shell¿́¿which also became the emblem of Newport furniture. While this catalogue presents Townsend's documented oeuvre, it also provides an unparalleled view of the physical and economical realities of Newport and of the artisanal culture that nourished cabinetmakers who were among the best ever to work in America. --Metropolitan Museum of Art website.