A17: Pennsylvania Kitchen, 1752

c. 1940

Narcissa Niblack Thorne

Narcissa Thorne aimed to design convincingly lived-in miniature interiors; to contend with the absent fourth wall, she employed techniques of stage design. Here, for instance, the chairs around the kitchen table face outward, and the pieces of furniture are arranged so as not to obstruct one another. This careful placement allows viewers to see each element while also encouraging them to imagine scenes playing out within the space.