Painter of Evening Scenes, b. 1768 - d. 1854

Duncan Phyfe was a Scottish-born carpenter credited with introducing European Neoclassicism to the world of American carpentry. Known as the “United States Rage” for his high demand in the U.S.A., Phyfe was highly influential in 19th-century furniture design. The restraint he exercised with balance, proportion, and symmetry came to define the New York carpentry style.

About Duncan Phyfe

• Artist name: Duncan Phyfe


• Alias: Duncan Fife, United States Rage


• Profession: Carpenter


• Nationality: Scottish

Duncan Phyfe was a Scottish-born carpenter who emigrated to Albany, New York in 1784 with his family at 16 years old. He moved to New York City alone in 1791. By the 1800s, he gained acclaim for introducing European flair to the American carpentry world. He specialized in crafting refined cabinets and tables out of richly colored woods, marble, and metals. One of Phyfe’s best-known pieces of furniture is his early 19th-century classical carved mahogany marble-top pier table, which reflects his frequent use of multiple materials in his carpentry. The balance, restraint, and symmetry of proportions that defined his work came to define the New York carpentry style.

Demand for Phyfe’s furniture pieces was so strong in the early 19th century that he became known as the “United States Rage.” Prior to 1837, he sold furniture under his own name, but that year, he formally partnered with his sons, James Duncan and Michael. The creation of Duncan Phyfe and Sons was short-lived, as Michael died in 1840, so for the brand’s final iteration, it was renamed Duncan Phyfe and Son.

Related Styles and Movements

• Carpentry


• Neoclassicism

Highlights and Achievements

• In 1792, Phyfe was elected into the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen via sponsorship from the cabinetmakers Issac Nichols and Seabury Champlin.


• His circa-1840 Wedding Cake design drop-leaf table sold for $78,375 in January 2002 via Sotheby's.


• Historians credit Phyfe as one of the first artists to bring European Neoclassicism to American carpentry.

Read Full Artist Biography