Sheraton, Thomas

(born 1751, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, Eng.—died Oct. 22, 1806, London) British cabinetmaker. A leading exponent of Neoclassicism, he gave his name to a style of furniture characterized by a firm, feminine refinement of late Georgian and became probably the most powerful source of inspiration behind the furniture of the late 18th century. His four-part Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterers' Drawing Book (1791) greatly influenced British and U.S. design. At his best, Sheraton had a natural approach to contemporary design: he used wood for its own sake, rather than covering it with such disguises as gilt or modulating it excessively with ormolu mounts.

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