BY J.A. SCHICK & CO., 1827

In the journal about his life and the contents of their estate Huis ten Donck in Ridderkerk, jonkheer W.G. Groeninx van Zoelen (1880-1963), recalls that the present lot was bought from the furniture-makers Schick and Comp. in 1827. The set comprised, besides the canapis and chairs, of a round centre-table which were then listed in the library and main living-room. Groeninx van Zoelen recalls in his journal, which he wrote for his son and his descendents, that the set was bought by his great-grandfather for their house at Lange Voorhout 38 in The Hague. He had bought the set partly in return of some old furniture which Schick and Comp. send to a local auctioneer. Another part of the furnishings was used to fill up a pond which was in the garden. In 1924 the set came to Huis ten Donck which was until then used by the family as their summer residence . From then on, after extensive restorations, the house was furnished with 18th and 19th Century English and French furniture.

Johannes Abraham Schick was born on the 30th of May 1750 in Neukirchen in Nassau-Dillenburg. He died in The Hague in 1829. He became a master chairmaker in 1790. His son Johan Georg (?-1862) joined the company of his father in circa 1790, after which the company was called Schick & Comps. They belonged to the most important furniture-makers in The Hague at the beginning of the 19th Century. They delivered several suites for palace Noordeinde in order of King Willem I (?-?) from 1817 onwards. Schick himself made a serie of drawings for chairs and fauteuils which were probably used for the furnishing of the palace. In 1820 Johan Schick took over the flourishing business. In the thirties they called themselves 'Behangers, Fabrikeurs en Leveranciers van Ameublementen, enz'. At the time the company went bankrupt in November 1841, they had the largest warehouse of its kind in the Netherlands.

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