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Lot Essay
Kimbolton Castle, Huntingdonshire, a medieval home, was the final residence of the Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII and daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. She died there in 1536. In 1683, the house came into the possession of Charles Montagu, 4th Earl and later 1st Duke of Manchester, as descended from his grandfather, Sir Henry Montagu. Under the direction of Sir John Vanburgh, the house was remodelled in the current fashion of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Vanburgh, with whom Montagu appears to have had a strong friendship and active correspondence, was also responsible for the remodelling of Castle Howard and Bleinheim Palace (Country Life, 23 September 1911, pp. 440-448 and 30 September 1911, pp. 474-486).
The 4th Earl also undertook the refurnishing of Kimbolton in the contemporary style and was undoubtedly influenced by the current popularity of the Huguenot designer and architect to William III, Daniel Marot. Much of the furniture is in the manner of Marot and relates to designs published in his Oeuvres in 1703. In addition to this, Manchester was appointed as the Ambassador to the Court of Louis XIV in 1699. His tenure in France during this period may well have also influenced his decision for a suite of chairs which closely follow the fashionable styles popular in France at this time. In 1708, Manchester had returned from France and had undertaken his second position in Italy as the Queen's Ambassador Extraordinary to Venice. He obviously took a keen interest in his remodelling of Kimbolton and at this date was known to be buying velvet and other textiles for the interiors. In a letter to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, who was then involved in the furnishing of Blenheim Palace, he wrote 'It is better to have rather more than less than you shall want, for in measuring of the rooms they may be mistaken. Besides, there must be chairs, window curtains and for doors according to the manner of Italy, which looks very handsome' (F. Lenygon, Decoration in England, London, 1914, p. 216).
Thomas Roberts succeeded Richard Price as the chief supplier of bed frames, seat furniture and fire-screens to the Royal household in 1686. He is listed at 'The Royal Chair', Marylebone Street, London as joiners, chair-makers and carvers (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, p. 752). Holding the royal warrant as joiner to the Royal Household, Roberts supplied Whitehall, Kensington, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, the Treasury and the Great Wardrobe as well as items required for specific state occasions. A chair in Hampton Court Palace, illustrated in P. Macquoid, A History of English Furniture: The Age of Walnut, 1905, p. 110, fig. 104, is of nearly identical form to the Kimbolton set and is referred to by Tipping in his study of English homes: 'One set which has lost its original coverings, has legs showing the transition between the C-scroll and the cabriole and having its exact counterpart in a walnutwood set at Hampton Court [Palace]. There, however, the stretcher is a simple flat loop, whereas at Kimbolton it is carried upwards in a sweep with somewhat elaborate carved central scrolled ornaments' (H.A.Tipping, English Homes, Late Stuart, 1649-1714, London, 1920, p. 297-298).
In addition to the Royal patronage, Roberts was also commissioned to supply furniture for some of the great country houses including Chatsworth, Houghton Hall, Moor Park and Penshurst Place. It is at Penshurst Place that there is an elaborate suite comprising a daybed, chairs and stools which have been attributed to Roberts on the strength of their similarity to a pair of stools made by him at Hampton Court Palace. These also bear a strong resemblance to the Kimbolton set and although the Penshurst model have a more ornately carved frame to the seat and back, the treatment of the legs is very similar. The stretcher, however, reverts to that of the Hampton Court Palace chair. These are illustrated in P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1924, vol. I, pl.X and XIV.
The connection of the Montagu family with Thomas Roberts appears to have been healthy. Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, the cousin to Charles, 4th Earl of Manchester, was responsible for the furnishing of Hampton Court Palace in his role as Master of the Great Wardrobe for William III. In this position he would have undoubtedly crossed paths with Roberts and indeed in an account book at Boughton, Ralph Montagu's country seat, there is a payment listed to Thomas Roberts for the supply of 'a feild Bedstead of Walnuttree with 4 posts made to ffold up altogether with ironwork and springs' (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, op. cit., p. 753).
A pair of nearly identical giltwood armchairs, displaying an arched stretcher with scrolled ornament was sold The Property of the Late Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt., Works of Art from Houghton, Christie's London, 8 December 1994, lot 27 (£32,200), as Louis XIV.
A further suite of seat furniture supplied to Kimbolton was sold in these Rooms, 12 October 1991, lot 33. Two chairs from this suite are illustrated in R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, rev. edn., London, 1954, vol.I, pl.XIII, and a single chair is illustrated in F. Lenygon, Furniture in England, 1660-1760, second edition, London, 1924, p. 38, fig. 36.
These chairs were acquired through the legendary design team of Sister Parish and Albert Hadley as part of a remarkable commission in the 1970s. While Sister Parish was celebrated for her signature use of bright colors and rich fabrics, Hadley provided an interesting counterpart by updating traditional design with modern, sleek elements. Together the Parish-Hadley team has been recognized for its timeless elegant style. Their impressive list of clients includes the Astors and Englehards as well as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who chose Sister Parish to decorate the White House during Kennedy's term.
The 4th Earl also undertook the refurnishing of Kimbolton in the contemporary style and was undoubtedly influenced by the current popularity of the Huguenot designer and architect to William III, Daniel Marot. Much of the furniture is in the manner of Marot and relates to designs published in his Oeuvres in 1703. In addition to this, Manchester was appointed as the Ambassador to the Court of Louis XIV in 1699. His tenure in France during this period may well have also influenced his decision for a suite of chairs which closely follow the fashionable styles popular in France at this time. In 1708, Manchester had returned from France and had undertaken his second position in Italy as the Queen's Ambassador Extraordinary to Venice. He obviously took a keen interest in his remodelling of Kimbolton and at this date was known to be buying velvet and other textiles for the interiors. In a letter to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, who was then involved in the furnishing of Blenheim Palace, he wrote 'It is better to have rather more than less than you shall want, for in measuring of the rooms they may be mistaken. Besides, there must be chairs, window curtains and for doors according to the manner of Italy, which looks very handsome' (F. Lenygon, Decoration in England, London, 1914, p. 216).
Thomas Roberts succeeded Richard Price as the chief supplier of bed frames, seat furniture and fire-screens to the Royal household in 1686. He is listed at 'The Royal Chair', Marylebone Street, London as joiners, chair-makers and carvers (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, p. 752). Holding the royal warrant as joiner to the Royal Household, Roberts supplied Whitehall, Kensington, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, the Treasury and the Great Wardrobe as well as items required for specific state occasions. A chair in Hampton Court Palace, illustrated in P. Macquoid, A History of English Furniture: The Age of Walnut, 1905, p. 110, fig. 104, is of nearly identical form to the Kimbolton set and is referred to by Tipping in his study of English homes: 'One set which has lost its original coverings, has legs showing the transition between the C-scroll and the cabriole and having its exact counterpart in a walnutwood set at Hampton Court [Palace]. There, however, the stretcher is a simple flat loop, whereas at Kimbolton it is carried upwards in a sweep with somewhat elaborate carved central scrolled ornaments' (H.A.Tipping, English Homes, Late Stuart, 1649-1714, London, 1920, p. 297-298).
In addition to the Royal patronage, Roberts was also commissioned to supply furniture for some of the great country houses including Chatsworth, Houghton Hall, Moor Park and Penshurst Place. It is at Penshurst Place that there is an elaborate suite comprising a daybed, chairs and stools which have been attributed to Roberts on the strength of their similarity to a pair of stools made by him at Hampton Court Palace. These also bear a strong resemblance to the Kimbolton set and although the Penshurst model have a more ornately carved frame to the seat and back, the treatment of the legs is very similar. The stretcher, however, reverts to that of the Hampton Court Palace chair. These are illustrated in P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1924, vol. I, pl.X and XIV.
The connection of the Montagu family with Thomas Roberts appears to have been healthy. Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, the cousin to Charles, 4th Earl of Manchester, was responsible for the furnishing of Hampton Court Palace in his role as Master of the Great Wardrobe for William III. In this position he would have undoubtedly crossed paths with Roberts and indeed in an account book at Boughton, Ralph Montagu's country seat, there is a payment listed to Thomas Roberts for the supply of 'a feild Bedstead of Walnuttree with 4 posts made to ffold up altogether with ironwork and springs' (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, op. cit., p. 753).
A pair of nearly identical giltwood armchairs, displaying an arched stretcher with scrolled ornament was sold The Property of the Late Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt., Works of Art from Houghton, Christie's London, 8 December 1994, lot 27 (£32,200), as Louis XIV.
A further suite of seat furniture supplied to Kimbolton was sold in these Rooms, 12 October 1991, lot 33. Two chairs from this suite are illustrated in R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, rev. edn., London, 1954, vol.I, pl.XIII, and a single chair is illustrated in F. Lenygon, Furniture in England, 1660-1760, second edition, London, 1924, p. 38, fig. 36.
These chairs were acquired through the legendary design team of Sister Parish and Albert Hadley as part of a remarkable commission in the 1970s. While Sister Parish was celebrated for her signature use of bright colors and rich fabrics, Hadley provided an interesting counterpart by updating traditional design with modern, sleek elements. Together the Parish-Hadley team has been recognized for its timeless elegant style. Their impressive list of clients includes the Astors and Englehards as well as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who chose Sister Parish to decorate the White House during Kennedy's term.