George Hepplewhite was a noted London chair and cabinetmaker. Born about 1727 he passed away in 1786 and was survived by his wife Alice Hepplewhite. In fact it was Alice who,in 1788, published a book with about 300 of his designs. George himself remains a bit of an enigma. No one for certain can be sure if the own a chair that was actually built by the Hepplewhite business or just a piece created in the Hepplewhite style. The history of George Hepplewhite remains obscure though his simple, elegant design is well sought after.

It is said that he was influenced by the then recent excavations at Pompeii. Although his contemporaries, including Chippendale, were curving legs and using fancy carvings, Hepplewhite preferred the grace of straight legs and is best known for the shield design on the backs of his chairs. The French appeared to have noticed Hepplewhite's designs and influence of it can be seen in the Louis XVI design. Hepplewhite designed bowfront chests are known for having convex fronts that were terminated with concave corners. Hepplewhite had a couple of distinctive features. One being the shield backs that we mentioned; the other being a feather carving inspired by the feather in the hats worn by The Prince of Wales as they were friends.

Some scholars say that Hepplewhite's designs reflect the simplicity of the post revolutionary war period while others say he led this movement and displays some of the lightest and most elegant designs using the bold coloring of well grained wood along with little or no carving.

Hepplewhite's designs were in fashion until about 1830. Keep in mind that this was a time when many pieces were made to order at a local cabinetmaker. It would very difficult to say whether a piece was made by the Hepplewhite business or by another maker using a Hepplewhite design. For this reason it is best to describe a piece as a 'Hepplewhite Style' instead of declaring it an actual Hepplewhite.

Here is a typical example of a Hepplewhite Design. Click here to see Hepplewhite Chairs.