Lot Essay
This grandly scaled and ornately carved sofa reflects the ‘French Taste’ promoted by Thomas Chippendale and is closely related to one of his designs in the 1762 edition of the Gentleman and Cabinet-Makers Director (plate XXX) and reproduced here. Chippendale supplied a suite of three sofas and ten armchairs in 1766 which are a closely related version of this design to Sir Lawrence Dundas for the Long Drawing room at his 19 Arlington Street townhouse. This suite was sold in the Arlington Street sale 26 April 1934 and purchased by Messrs Harris who subsequently sold the suite to the Earl and Countess of Rosse for Birr Castle, Ireland. The suite is now in another private collection. A closely related sofa, also originally decorated was sold anonymously at Christie’s, New York, 9 April 2003, lot 155 and another smaller painted version was sold from the collection of Mary, Viscountess Rothermere at Christie’s, New York, 16 April 1994, lot 144.