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Lot Essay
With its acanthus-carved temple pediment crestrail and scrolled 'truss' pilaster feet, this Roman-pattern settee conforms to a design from the late 1720's by William Kent (d. 1748), architect to George II. Designed in the 'Antique' manner promoted by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, its form is derived from the architecture of the seventeenth-century court architect Inigo Jones. The pattern, which was popularized by the architectural publication of Kent's colleague John Vardy (d. 1765) entitled 'Some Designs of Mr. Inigo Jones and Mr. William Kent', 1744, (pl. 42), was considered particularly appropriate for the banqueting halls of Palladian mansions and garden temples.
A number of examples of related hall-benches and hall-bergeres are known, all undoubtedly based upon the original Kent design, and largely recorded in houses where William Kent was involved in remodeling and interior decoration. These include a set of four settees designed by Henry Flitcroft (d. 1769) and executed by George Nix in 1728 for John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu for the Banqueting Hall of Montagu House, Whitehall (see T. Murdoch, ed., Boughton House: The English Versailles, London, 1992, pp. 134-135, pl. 133). A further suite of six settees based on the pattern were provided for Sir Robert Walpole's Norfolk mansion, Houghton Hall (see J. Cornforth, 'Houghton Hall, Norfolk', Country Life, 28 March 1996, pp. 52-59 and fig. 2) and have been attributed to the workshops of James Richards, who executed numerous architectural carvings as well as furniture for royal commissions designed by Kent (A. Moore, Houghton Hall, London, 1996, p. 116). The version at Houghton, produced for the Stone Hall, has similar bead-and-reel carving to the panelled back as the example offered here, but has a further central panel undoubtedly added to accommodate a large scrolled bracket which sat above (see C. Latham, In English Homes, vol. III, 1909, p. 357). The Houghton example has a large-scale acanthus-carved apron beneath the seat, a feature which was almost certainly previously found on the present lot, which shows indication of having originally had such an acanthus-carved arch.
A pair of settees of similar overall design but with a pierced scroll and garland apron and shell-and-scroll-carved cresting was supplied by James Moore the Younger for Sir John Dutton at Sherborne, Gloucestershire during a partial refurnishing of the property between 1725 and 1730 in which Kent was involved. The settees, now at Temple Newsam, were described in a 1740 inventory, 'To Mr Moore for 2 Mahogany Settees for ye Dining room at ye Lodge Carved £30' (see C. Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, Leeds, 1978, pp. 267-8, pl. 324). In 1940, these settees, a set of four benches and six hall chairs from the suite were sold by Lord Sherbourne to Leonard Knight, Ltd., who subsequently sold the pair of settees to Temple Newsam. Two benches from the commission were sold from the Benjamin Sonnenberg Collection at Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 5-9 June, 1979, lot 1681.
At Holkham Hall, Norfolk, a pair of related double-seat settees were commissioned for the Palladio-inspired hall, which was designed by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (d. 1748) and William Kent. Built in the 1740's under the direction of of the architect Matthew Brettingham Senior (d. 1769), the hall formed part of the 'Grand Apartment', which though roofed in 1749, only had its furnishing completed around 1760 by the Countess of Leicester. A pair of hall bergeres of the same design, having a scrolled acanthus arch to the interior of the legs, were sold Christie's London, 12 November 1988, lot 40. A further version of the model designed by William Kent in 1720-25 is at Rainham Hall, and is illustrated in H. Cescinsky, The Old-World House: its Furniture and Decoration, vol.II, New York,1924, p. 119.
A number of examples of related hall-benches and hall-bergeres are known, all undoubtedly based upon the original Kent design, and largely recorded in houses where William Kent was involved in remodeling and interior decoration. These include a set of four settees designed by Henry Flitcroft (d. 1769) and executed by George Nix in 1728 for John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu for the Banqueting Hall of Montagu House, Whitehall (see T. Murdoch, ed., Boughton House: The English Versailles, London, 1992, pp. 134-135, pl. 133). A further suite of six settees based on the pattern were provided for Sir Robert Walpole's Norfolk mansion, Houghton Hall (see J. Cornforth, 'Houghton Hall, Norfolk', Country Life, 28 March 1996, pp. 52-59 and fig. 2) and have been attributed to the workshops of James Richards, who executed numerous architectural carvings as well as furniture for royal commissions designed by Kent (A. Moore, Houghton Hall, London, 1996, p. 116). The version at Houghton, produced for the Stone Hall, has similar bead-and-reel carving to the panelled back as the example offered here, but has a further central panel undoubtedly added to accommodate a large scrolled bracket which sat above (see C. Latham, In English Homes, vol. III, 1909, p. 357). The Houghton example has a large-scale acanthus-carved apron beneath the seat, a feature which was almost certainly previously found on the present lot, which shows indication of having originally had such an acanthus-carved arch.
A pair of settees of similar overall design but with a pierced scroll and garland apron and shell-and-scroll-carved cresting was supplied by James Moore the Younger for Sir John Dutton at Sherborne, Gloucestershire during a partial refurnishing of the property between 1725 and 1730 in which Kent was involved. The settees, now at Temple Newsam, were described in a 1740 inventory, 'To Mr Moore for 2 Mahogany Settees for ye Dining room at ye Lodge Carved £30' (see C. Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, Leeds, 1978, pp. 267-8, pl. 324). In 1940, these settees, a set of four benches and six hall chairs from the suite were sold by Lord Sherbourne to Leonard Knight, Ltd., who subsequently sold the pair of settees to Temple Newsam. Two benches from the commission were sold from the Benjamin Sonnenberg Collection at Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 5-9 June, 1979, lot 1681.
At Holkham Hall, Norfolk, a pair of related double-seat settees were commissioned for the Palladio-inspired hall, which was designed by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (d. 1748) and William Kent. Built in the 1740's under the direction of of the architect Matthew Brettingham Senior (d. 1769), the hall formed part of the 'Grand Apartment', which though roofed in 1749, only had its furnishing completed around 1760 by the Countess of Leicester. A pair of hall bergeres of the same design, having a scrolled acanthus arch to the interior of the legs, were sold Christie's London, 12 November 1988, lot 40. A further version of the model designed by William Kent in 1720-25 is at Rainham Hall, and is illustrated in H. Cescinsky, The Old-World House: its Furniture and Decoration, vol.II, New York,1924, p. 119.