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Lot Essay
THE REMODELING OF WINDSOR CASTLE
In 1824 parliament granted 300,000 for the remodeling of Windsor Castle for the use of H.M. King George IV. The King engaged Jeffry Wyattville (1766-1840) as architect, and the noted cabinet makers, Nicholas Morel and T.& G Seddon were formed a partnership and were charged with furnishing the interiors. Wyattville's vision was predominantly gothic; externally he introduced a unified appearance to a building which had developed organically over a period of almost a thousand years. He rebuilt or encased much of the ancient building, introducing a coherent and more decorative scheme employing 'Tudor-gothic' ashlar quoins which stood in strong contrast with the coursed grey stone of the walls giving the substantial building a much more romantic and impressive appearance and diluting its former air of austerity. The 'gothic' style was also adopted for much of the interior, with the notable exception of the majority of the state apartments in which a bold late-Regency neoclassicism was employed. In 1828 A.W.N. Pugin was engaged by Morel and Seddon to work alongside his father A. C. Pugin to make 'gothic' furniture designs for use at Windsor. Several of examples attributed to the younger Pugin, which remain in the Queen's collection at Windsor, share stylistic details with the present table such as the double-lancet tracery panels, see H. Roberts, For the King's Pleasure: The Furnishing and Decoration of George IV's Apartments at Windsor Castle, London, 2001, p. 392 fig. 466 & p. 394, fig. 497.
THE DESIGN
Whilst the design of the of the present table owes much to the designs of furniture designed by the younger Pugin and executed by the royal cabinet makers Morel & Seddon the present table comes from an unattributed group of furniture supplied for Windsor, either during the reign of H.M. King William IV or his niece H.M. Queen Victorian, which share this bold and distinctive design of handle. Following the death of George IV an investigation was held into the spiraling costs of the work carried out at Windsor as the original budget of 300,000 had been vastly exceeded with the cost of the furnishing alone coming in at a figure in excess of this sum. Following the King's death Morel & Seddon were not engaged to supply further furnishings for the castle and their partnership was dissolved. During the ensuing years various other notable London cabinet makers and furnishers would be employed to supply furniture for the Windsor and other royal residences, the most notable amongst these perhaps being the firms of Thomas Dowbiggin and Holland & Son. The propinquity of the design of the present table to the output of Morel and Seddon combined with the late-Regency character of the handles would suggest that this table was probably produced not long after the completion of the initial commission, possibly whilst Wyattville was still overseeing work at the castle, as he did until his death in 1840. This dating would preclude it from being the work of the latter firm as their first Royal commission was to work collaboratively with Dowbiggin on the furnishing of Osborne House for Queen Victoria from 1845. Dowbiggin is recorded as having been amongst the those invited to submit a tender for the furnishing of the ballroom at Windsor for George IV, he was also asked to comment on Morel & Seddon's charges as part of the investigation into the excessive cost of furnishings at Windsor following George IV's death, the latter invitation being declined. Dowbiggin's most prestigious royal commission perhaps came in 1837 when he supplied Queen Victoria's State Throne at a cost of 1,187, he is also recorded as having supplied furniture to Windsor Castle and upholstery for Buckingham Palace between 1837 and 1850 (G. Beard and C. Gilbert (eds.), The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, pp. 252-254); given his established connection with Windsor it is entirely possible that he could have also supplied furniture before the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.
THE INVENTORY STAMP AND ROOM 557
Whilst it is not known for which room this table was produced, it is recorded in the 1866-7-8 inventory of the contents of Windsor Castle (Royal Collection) as present in the Police Inspector's office there, room 557 and it is to this room that the branded stamp to the underside of the pedestal relates. The room is known to have served as the Inspector's room from the middle until the end of the 19th century at which time its use again changed and the table would not have been able to remain. The table is described in that inventory as 'A 5ft 1 wainscot oak octagon Library Table with moulded top lined with green morocco leather with embossed and gold border. Four drawers in frame with gothic moulded fronts and massive bronze door handles, the whole mounted in an octagon pedestal with gothic moulded panels and enclosed by a door with lock. On castors'. The Police Inspectors office occupied one of the remaining 14th century parts of the building, directly adjacent to the State Entrance, which is known to have been sub-divided as early as the 18th century. This part of the castle has never been re-modelled or been part of a unified furnishing scheme so it is most likely that the table was commissioned for elsewhere in the castle and was subsequently relocated.
We are grateful to Rufus Bird, Deputy Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, for his assistance in researching this lot.
In 1824 parliament granted 300,000 for the remodeling of Windsor Castle for the use of H.M. King George IV. The King engaged Jeffry Wyattville (1766-1840) as architect, and the noted cabinet makers, Nicholas Morel and T.& G Seddon were formed a partnership and were charged with furnishing the interiors. Wyattville's vision was predominantly gothic; externally he introduced a unified appearance to a building which had developed organically over a period of almost a thousand years. He rebuilt or encased much of the ancient building, introducing a coherent and more decorative scheme employing 'Tudor-gothic' ashlar quoins which stood in strong contrast with the coursed grey stone of the walls giving the substantial building a much more romantic and impressive appearance and diluting its former air of austerity. The 'gothic' style was also adopted for much of the interior, with the notable exception of the majority of the state apartments in which a bold late-Regency neoclassicism was employed. In 1828 A.W.N. Pugin was engaged by Morel and Seddon to work alongside his father A. C. Pugin to make 'gothic' furniture designs for use at Windsor. Several of examples attributed to the younger Pugin, which remain in the Queen's collection at Windsor, share stylistic details with the present table such as the double-lancet tracery panels, see H. Roberts, For the King's Pleasure: The Furnishing and Decoration of George IV's Apartments at Windsor Castle, London, 2001, p. 392 fig. 466 & p. 394, fig. 497.
THE DESIGN
Whilst the design of the of the present table owes much to the designs of furniture designed by the younger Pugin and executed by the royal cabinet makers Morel & Seddon the present table comes from an unattributed group of furniture supplied for Windsor, either during the reign of H.M. King William IV or his niece H.M. Queen Victorian, which share this bold and distinctive design of handle. Following the death of George IV an investigation was held into the spiraling costs of the work carried out at Windsor as the original budget of 300,000 had been vastly exceeded with the cost of the furnishing alone coming in at a figure in excess of this sum. Following the King's death Morel & Seddon were not engaged to supply further furnishings for the castle and their partnership was dissolved. During the ensuing years various other notable London cabinet makers and furnishers would be employed to supply furniture for the Windsor and other royal residences, the most notable amongst these perhaps being the firms of Thomas Dowbiggin and Holland & Son. The propinquity of the design of the present table to the output of Morel and Seddon combined with the late-Regency character of the handles would suggest that this table was probably produced not long after the completion of the initial commission, possibly whilst Wyattville was still overseeing work at the castle, as he did until his death in 1840. This dating would preclude it from being the work of the latter firm as their first Royal commission was to work collaboratively with Dowbiggin on the furnishing of Osborne House for Queen Victoria from 1845. Dowbiggin is recorded as having been amongst the those invited to submit a tender for the furnishing of the ballroom at Windsor for George IV, he was also asked to comment on Morel & Seddon's charges as part of the investigation into the excessive cost of furnishings at Windsor following George IV's death, the latter invitation being declined. Dowbiggin's most prestigious royal commission perhaps came in 1837 when he supplied Queen Victoria's State Throne at a cost of 1,187, he is also recorded as having supplied furniture to Windsor Castle and upholstery for Buckingham Palace between 1837 and 1850 (G. Beard and C. Gilbert (eds.), The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, pp. 252-254); given his established connection with Windsor it is entirely possible that he could have also supplied furniture before the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.
THE INVENTORY STAMP AND ROOM 557
Whilst it is not known for which room this table was produced, it is recorded in the 1866-7-8 inventory of the contents of Windsor Castle (Royal Collection) as present in the Police Inspector's office there, room 557 and it is to this room that the branded stamp to the underside of the pedestal relates. The room is known to have served as the Inspector's room from the middle until the end of the 19th century at which time its use again changed and the table would not have been able to remain. The table is described in that inventory as 'A 5ft 1 wainscot oak octagon Library Table with moulded top lined with green morocco leather with embossed and gold border. Four drawers in frame with gothic moulded fronts and massive bronze door handles, the whole mounted in an octagon pedestal with gothic moulded panels and enclosed by a door with lock. On castors'. The Police Inspectors office occupied one of the remaining 14th century parts of the building, directly adjacent to the State Entrance, which is known to have been sub-divided as early as the 18th century. This part of the castle has never been re-modelled or been part of a unified furnishing scheme so it is most likely that the table was commissioned for elsewhere in the castle and was subsequently relocated.
We are grateful to Rufus Bird, Deputy Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, for his assistance in researching this lot.