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Lot Essay
This secretaire-commode, ornamented to celebrate the triumph of lyric poetry, displays the classical influence of King George III's architects Sir William Chambers (d. 1796) and Robert Adam (d.1792). The inlaid top displays a Roman medallion within a ray-parquetried tablet, whose golden ribbon frame has Grecian-fretted corners. A smaller medallion inlaid on the secretaire-fall is wreathed by flowered Roman acanthus and enriched with a Palmyreen sunflower to evoke Ovid's Metamorphoses and the history of the poetry-deity Apollo and his love Clytie. The commode doors tablets, which are also framed in Grecian-fretted ribbons, display medallions with Grecian palm-flowered sacred urns that evoke ancient sacrifices at Love's altar. This elegant multi-purpose piece of furniture was designed for the window-pier of a lady's apartment, and may have displayed her dressing-service.
This finely inlaid commode is indisputedly the work of pre-eminent St. Martin's Lane cabinet-maker Thomas Chippendale (d. 1779) based on its close similarities to documented pieces by his firm. Most notably, the urn-inlaid oval panels to the doors are virtually identical to those on a commode supplied by Chippendale for Lady Winn's bedchamber at Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, in circa 1770 (reproduced here and also illustrated in C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. II, fig. 221). Chippendale's work at Nostell Priory for Sir Rowland Winn is well documented and extensive accounts exist from June of 1766 until October 1771. The design of the urn, placed within a finely figured oval ground, with its palmette spray finial, Greek key handles and foliate-wrapped ribbed body are all but indistinguishable from the Nostell commode. By further comparison, the motif of a palmette and foliate scroll issuing from a bellflower that appears on the uprights of this secretaire also features on the top of the Nostell commode (see C. Gilbert, op.cit, pl.222). The secretaire displays distinctive Grecian-scrolled feet inlaid with bellflower chains and Greek key as adapted from an ancient Louis Quatorze pattern for a sarcophagus-commode that had been issued by Jean Berain (d.1711). Similarly patterned feet with the same details rendered in ormolu appear on a pair of Chippendale commodes reputedly supplied for the 1st Duke of Wellington, one of which is in the public collections at the Lady Lever Gallery, Port Sunlight and the other sold Christie's London, 6 July 1995, lot 152 and again, 4 July 1996, lot 398 (illustrated in L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, pp.184-185,fig.168). These feet also feature on a commode from the remarkable collection assembled by Samuel Messer, sold Christies London, 5 December 1992, lot 130. Both the Wellington and the Messer commodes are derived from a Thomas Chippendale design of circa 1762 in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and both also display the same ribbon-fret bordered doors that appear on this piece. Of note, a further pair of commodes supplied by Chippendale for William Constable's London home (sold Christie's London, 9 July 1992, lot 55) features similar urn-inlaid panels and interior drawer arrangement.
This finely inlaid commode is indisputedly the work of pre-eminent St. Martin's Lane cabinet-maker Thomas Chippendale (d. 1779) based on its close similarities to documented pieces by his firm. Most notably, the urn-inlaid oval panels to the doors are virtually identical to those on a commode supplied by Chippendale for Lady Winn's bedchamber at Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, in circa 1770 (reproduced here and also illustrated in C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. II, fig. 221). Chippendale's work at Nostell Priory for Sir Rowland Winn is well documented and extensive accounts exist from June of 1766 until October 1771. The design of the urn, placed within a finely figured oval ground, with its palmette spray finial, Greek key handles and foliate-wrapped ribbed body are all but indistinguishable from the Nostell commode. By further comparison, the motif of a palmette and foliate scroll issuing from a bellflower that appears on the uprights of this secretaire also features on the top of the Nostell commode (see C. Gilbert, op.cit, pl.222). The secretaire displays distinctive Grecian-scrolled feet inlaid with bellflower chains and Greek key as adapted from an ancient Louis Quatorze pattern for a sarcophagus-commode that had been issued by Jean Berain (d.1711). Similarly patterned feet with the same details rendered in ormolu appear on a pair of Chippendale commodes reputedly supplied for the 1st Duke of Wellington, one of which is in the public collections at the Lady Lever Gallery, Port Sunlight and the other sold Christie's London, 6 July 1995, lot 152 and again, 4 July 1996, lot 398 (illustrated in L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, pp.184-185,fig.168). These feet also feature on a commode from the remarkable collection assembled by Samuel Messer, sold Christies London, 5 December 1992, lot 130. Both the Wellington and the Messer commodes are derived from a Thomas Chippendale design of circa 1762 in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and both also display the same ribbon-fret bordered doors that appear on this piece. Of note, a further pair of commodes supplied by Chippendale for William Constable's London home (sold Christie's London, 9 July 1992, lot 55) features similar urn-inlaid panels and interior drawer arrangement.