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Lot Essay
These elegant armchairs, with light French 'cabriolet' and golden frames, relate to designs by the Berkeley Square cabinet-maker John Linnell (d.1796) (see E. Harris, The Genius of Robert Adam, London, 2001, p.39, fig.52).
A suite of seat furniture, previously in the collection of the Marquess of Lansdowne, with similar central husk-draped patera on the seat rails, was sold anonymously Christie's, London, 19 November 1987, lot 35. The 1st Marquess of Lansdowne was a client of William and John Linnell and their association was long-lived. The Linnells were first engaged by the the 2nd Earl of Shelburne in 1763 at Bowood, Wiltshire and continued until 1796 including the commission for furniture for Shelburne (later Lansdowne) House, the Earl having been created 1st Marquss of Lansdowne in 1784 (Helena Hayward and Pat Kirkham, William and John Linnell, 1980, vol.I, pp.123-125).
A pair of chairs of the same design were sold anonymously Christie's, London, 23 February 1989, lot 61 (£9,9000 inc. prem.) and again Christie's, London, 11 November 1999, lot 43 (£20,700 inc. prem.)
A suite of seat furniture, previously in the collection of the Marquess of Lansdowne, with similar central husk-draped patera on the seat rails, was sold anonymously Christie's, London, 19 November 1987, lot 35. The 1st Marquess of Lansdowne was a client of William and John Linnell and their association was long-lived. The Linnells were first engaged by the the 2nd Earl of Shelburne in 1763 at Bowood, Wiltshire and continued until 1796 including the commission for furniture for Shelburne (later Lansdowne) House, the Earl having been created 1st Marquss of Lansdowne in 1784 (Helena Hayward and Pat Kirkham, William and John Linnell, 1980, vol.I, pp.123-125).
A pair of chairs of the same design were sold anonymously Christie's, London, 23 February 1989, lot 61 (£9,9000 inc. prem.) and again Christie's, London, 11 November 1999, lot 43 (£20,700 inc. prem.)