Botanical Reading Couch

Rosanne Somerson, Botanical Reading Couch, 1992, painted mahogany and cherry with cotton, 39 x 75 ⁵⁄₈ x 32 ³⁄₄ in. (99.1 x 192.1 x 83.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1995.77, © 1992, Rosanne Somerson

Artwork Details

Title: Botanical Reading Couch
Artist: Rosanne Somerson
Date: 1992
Location: Renwick Gallery
/
2nd Floor
/
Room 206
Dimensions: 39 x 75 ⁵⁄₈ x 32 ³⁄₄ in. (99.1 x 192.1 x 83.2 cm)
Copyright: © 1992, Rosanne Somerson
Credit Line: Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
Mediums: mahogany
cherry
fabric
Mediums Description: painted mahogany and cherry with cotton
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Furniture
Object Number: 1995.77
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1995.77

Artwork Description

One of the first women to break into the field of studio furniture, Rosanne Somerson crafts technically and conceptually complex pieces that value function as well as emotional content. She made Botanical Reading Couch after the birth of her daughter, which inspired her interest in memories and nature. The couch evokes Somerson’s childhood memory of falling languidly into a pile of leaves and reading under an old willow tree. It invites the viewer to reminisce on their own pleasant memories.