CIRCA 1805

Details

A REGENCY GRAIN-PAINTED AND PARCEL-GILT ARMCHAIR
circa 1805
In the manner of Henry Holland, the slightly arched molded cresting flanked by scrolled downswept arms, the downscrolled arm-supports terminating in pendant rosettes, on tapering reeded legs headed by panelled flowerheads, with gadrooned brass casters, the padded back, seat and arm-rests covered in yellow silk, the seatrail with a carved in F, redecorated, applied with gilt-composition elements of a later date, rear legs repaired

Provenance

Probably supplied to Edward Lascelles, 1st Earl of Harewood (d.1820), for Harewood House, Hanover Square, London
Thence by descent until offered by H.R.H. The Princess Royal and the Earl of Harewood, Christie's London, 28 June 1951, lot 46 (the set)

Literature

For the Harewood House suite:
P. Macquoid, The Age of Satinwood, 1908, fig. 243
C. Hussey, English Country Houses, Mid-Georgian 1760-1800, 1956, p. 66, fig. 116 (illustrated in the Music Room at Harewood House, Yorkshire)

Lot Essay

This chair was probably part of a large suite of seat furniture that was supplied in the early 1800s for the Earl of Harewood's London house in Hanover Square which was split up after the 1951 auction.

This type of chair is linked to the architect Henry Holland and the two cabinet-making firms of Morel and Hughes and Marsh and Tatham. Nicholas Morel (d.1830), who is thought to have been originally from France, supplied furniture to the Prince of Wales for Carlton House and was appointed the Prince's Upholsterer-in-Ordinary. In 1805 he was joined by Robert Hughes. Morel and Hughes are recorded working at Harewood House, Hanover Square, in March 1809 (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, eds., The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, p. 624), and Marsh and Tatham were working there in 1811 (ibid., p. 279).

Similar chairs were supplied under the direction of Henry Holland to Samuel Whitbread II for Southill Park, Bedfordshire (F. Collard, Regency Furniture, 1985, p. 44). A single unpainted armchair from the Harewood suite which was not included in the 1951 sale was sold by the present Earl of Harewood at Christie's London, 15 November 1990, lot 48.