Skylands, my home in Maine, is now the temporary residence of an original reproduction of a Federalist period Grecian Sofa.
The “Granite Sofa” is a four-thousand pound sculpture carved out of one single piece of pink granite. It was delivered after friends suggested I house the art piece while the museum caring for it underwent renovations. I thought it would be fun, and I was sure I could find a suitable place for it. It’s a beautifully crafted carving by sculptor, Russ Kaufman, for Celeste Roberge, the internationally known artist who wanted it as a monument to the original 1805 Samuel McIntire “Grecian Sofa”, currently at the acclaimed Winterthur Museum & Country Estate.It took a little ingenuity and elbow grease to transport the installation, but I’m thrilled and honored to have this work of art at my home. Here are some photos – I hope you enjoy them.
The sofa measures 38-inches tall by 93-inches long by 29-inches wide – made from one piece of pink granite purchased from a quarry in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, and shipped to Maine’s Freshwater Stone where it was carved.
The sofa arrived at Skylands in three pieces – the base “legs” and the actual sofa itself. Russ used many tools to create it – from a 14-inch blade on a chop saw to a one-sixteeth of an inch attachment on an antique air hammer.