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Bench

Hank Gilpin (American, born in 1946)
1999
Object Place: Lincoln, Rhode Island, USA

Medium/Technique Curly maple, walnut
Dimensions 45.72 x 43.18 x 198.12 cm (18 x 17 x 78 in.)
Credit Line Gift of John Gardner Greene Estate and Gift of Estelle S. Frankfurter, by exchange
Accession Number1999.505
ClassificationsFurnitureSeating and beds
Hank Gilpin’s bench displays his talent for the subtle craft of joinery, his delicate design, and his appreciation for wood. The walnut base uses intricate mortise and tenon joints to attach to the curly maple top, and the six legs curve gently outward. Gilpin uses carefully selected figured maple to add interest and variation while keeping the overall form simple and true to its purpose. Gilpin was a student of Tage Frid at the Rhode Island School of Design, whose work was some of the earliest to join the Please Be Seated program in the 1970s.

DescriptionIrregularly shaped curly maple top with walnut base. The six thin legs are gently curved outward, and joined with arched stretchers from side to side and straight stretchers from front to back.
Provenance1999, purchased by the MFA from the artist (Acquisition date: December 15, 1999).
CopyrightDesigned/Made by: Hank Gilpin