Lot Essay
These chairs share some features with other examples attributed to the cabinetmaker John Linnell (d.1796) of Berkeley Square, London. A suite of chairs with the same feet and husk-enriched arms, formerly at Meikleour, Scotland and sold by Christie's London, 19 November 1981, lot 26 is thought to have been supplied by Linnell to the 2nd Earl of Shelbourne, later 1st Marquis of Lansdowne. Another set of oval-back chairs with the same distinctive panelled husk-carved arm supports at Inverary Castle, Scotland are also attributed to Linnell (see H. Hayward and P.Kirkham, William and John Linnell, 1980, vol. II, p. 46, fig. 90). Invoices from the firm for the 5th Duke of Argyll date from 1774 to 1776. Another pair in mahogany with the same pattern legs and anthemion-carved crestrail from Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, and sold by Sotheby's New York, 13 April 1985, lot 345 are also likely to have been supplied to Hugh Smythson, 1st Duke of Northumberland, who was a known patron of the Linnell firm. A further set of four with spherical handholds characteristic of Linnell, similarly panelled arm supports and overall from was sold Christie's London, 6 July 1989, lot 31.