Botanical Reading Couch

Rosanne Somerson, Botanical Reading Couch, 1992, painted mahogany and cherry with cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1995.77, © 1992, Rosanne Somerson
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
Date
1992
Location
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
Mediums Description
painted mahogany and cherry with cotton
Classifications
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.

Works by this artist (2 items)

Richard Serra, Untitled, from the portfolio The New York Collection for Stockholm, 1973, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Woodward Foundation, 1976.108.134, © 1973, Richard Serra
Untitled, from the portfolio The New York Collection for…
Artist
Date1973
lithograph on paper
Not on view
Richard Serra, Maquette for Tilted Arc, 1980, bent and incised steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1981.188
Maquette for Tilted Arc
Artist
Date1980
bent and incised steel
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
Robert Hudson, Maquette for Tlingit, 1979, welded steel, assembled and painted, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1980.49.18
Maquette for Tlingit
Artist
Date1979
welded steel, assembled and painted
Not on view
Barbara Neijna, Maquette for Right Turn on White, 1978, cut and bent stainless steel on fiberboard base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1979.159.47
Maquette for Right Turn on White
Artist
Date1978
cut and bent stainless steel on fiberboard base
Not on view
Melvin Edwards, Maquette for "Confirmation" (for Joseph P. Addabbo Federal Building, Jamaica, New York), 1986, stainless steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1994.84.4
Maquette for ​“Confirmation” (for Joseph P. Addabbo Federal…
Artist
Date1986
stainless steel
Not on view
Alexander Liberman, Maquette for On High, 1978, welded and painted steel on steel base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1980.49.9
Maquette for On High
Artist
Date1978
welded and painted steel on steel base
Not on view