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拍品专文
These two pairs of side tables (lots 16 and 17) from Hornby Castle, Yorkshire, were probably supplied in the 1760s to Robert Darcy, 8th Lord Conyers, 4th Earl of Holdernesse (d. 1778), who was a British diplomat, politician and member of the Society of Dilettanti.
HORNBY CASTLE - SEAT OF THE DUKE OF LEEDS
In A true and complete Inventory of all the household furniture in the several apartments of Hornby Castle taken in May 1778, the tables are listed as, 'Four marble slabs with white carved frames' (Yorkshire Archaeological Society, DD5/26/29). The year 1778 was significant for the Conyers family because when the 4th Earl of Holdernesse died, the estate had no male heir and most of the deceased Earl's titles became extinct. Hornby Castle passed through the female line to the Dukes of Leeds; Lord Conyers' only daughter, Amelia Darcy, married Francis Godolphin Osborne, Marquess of Carmarthen, later Duke of Leeds. Hornby Castle remained in the possession of the Osborne family until it was sold, together with its contents, in 1930.
In 1838, the tables remained in the 'Great Hall' identifiable as, '2 carved and gilt japan'd pier tables with statuary marble slabs' and '2 do. [ditto] half circle pier tables with do. slabs' (DD5/20/5). In 1839, they were similarly described although this inventory detailed items selected by Her Grace the Dowager Duchess of Leeds, Lady Charlotte Townshend (d. 1856), daughter of George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend of Raynham, that she wished to keep in her personal collection, although there is no record that she or her furniture actually left Hornby Castle (DD5/12/6b). On the 14 July 1906, Country Life published a photograph of one of the demi-lune tables in the 'Great Hall' at Hornby Castle; in this period the tables were giltwood.
On 2nd June 1930 they were listed in the sale catalogue of the remaining contents of Hornby Castle as,
'Lot 78 A Georgian carved white painted and gilt rectangular console table, fluted frieze with lion masks in relief, on fluted square supports terminating in claw feet, veined white marble top, 7 ft. 6 in. Lot 79 The companion table, 7 ft. 6 in.
Lot 80 A similar table, of semi-circular shape, and veined white marble top, 6 ft. 4 in.
Lot 81 The companion table'
(Knight Frank & Rutley, A Catalogue of the Remaining Contents of Hornby Castle, Bedale, Yorks, 2 June 1930 and following days, First Day, lots 78-81).
Susan Weber Soros notes that 'the present location of these tables, last photographed in 1906, is not known' (Ed. S. Weber Soros, James 'Athenian' Stuart, New Haven and London, 2006, p. 441).
JAMES 'ATHENIAN' STUART AND WILLIAM CHAMBERS
The Earl of Holdernesse owned four pairs of similar tables, the two pairs offered here, lots 16 and 17, from Hornby Castle, and two further pairs at Holdernesse House, later Londonderry House, London. They differ only in the frieze decoration, the Hornby tables having fluted friezes, while the Holdernesse House tables had Greek-key friezes.
The commission for the present tables is usually attributed to James 'Athenian' Stuart, (d.1780), the architect, painter and archaeologist, who, following his Grand Tour, became a pioneer for the neo-classical and Greek Revival style, his significant achievements include work at Spencer House, London, from 1758. Although the Earl of Holdernesse's account books record only one payment to Stuart of /P50 in 1765, it is certain that, as architect-designer, Stuart significantly contributed to both Holdernesse House, and Hornby Castle. In 1766, John Carter sketched many of the ornamental details of Holdernesse House which indicate that Stuart designed ceilings, mantelpieces, friezes, entablatures and mouldings, and undoubtedly also furniture although this was not included in the sketch book (Weber Soros, ibid., p. 228).
Susan Weber Soros notes that the demi-lune model at Londonderry House was 'heavier in proportion and more archaeological in character than Stuart's other pier tables', and mentions their 'lion paws feet, and a large-scale triple rosette on the apron sets off the leg forms'. The suggestion is that these tables may be by another hand and indeed in 1765, Sir William Chambers (d. 1796) designed an almost identical table with a Greek-key frieze for an unknown client (Ed. J. Harris, M. Snodin, Sir William Chambers, Architect to George III, New Haven and London, 1997, p. 171, fig. 257).
However, the features detailed had already been executed by Stuart, for instance the pair of giltwood torchères designed for Spencer House, inspired by the 'Ara antica', a celebrated Roman marble antiquity from Hadrian's villa, later publicised in Piranesi's Antichita d'Albano e di Castel Gandolfo (1764). These tripod stands featured the same fluted tapering supports, rosette panels and lion paw-feet, and friezes displaying both fluted and Greek-key decoration. Thus Stuart is the true originator of the design, and Chambers the follower. The fluted frieze on the present tables was simply intended to match the fluted band of the chimneypiece and cornice in the 'Great Hall' at Hornby Castle.
Stuart designed a further two giltwood console tables with matching mirrors for the Great Room at Spencer House, now in the Great Room at Althorp, Northamptonshire. Each table has six square tapering legs, triple fluted like the present side tables but terminating in shaped 'French, peg feet. Although the friezes are similarly fluted, the Spencer House tables additionally have square block capitals carved with rosettes, heavy floral garlands and ornate guilloche-carved stretchers.
Stuart almost certainly borrowed the demi-lune form from antique models, such as a sarcophagus from Simpelveld in the Netherlands, now in the Rijksmuseum, with a semicircular top supported by lion monopodia.
BENJAMIN RIDSDALE
One of the demi-lune tables bears a paper label inscribed 'Benjamin Ridsdale April 7 17..'. This name is also recorded together with the date '7 May 1793' in pencil on a carved pine neo-classical side table in the neo-classical taste at Rokeby Park, Yorkshire. Benjamin Ridsdale is not listed as a cabinet-maker although there was a later Thomas Ridsdale working in York in 1820. A pair of George II carved mahogany side tables in the manner of Mathias Lock, circa 1740, were offered for sale at Sotheby's New York, 20 October 2006, lot 55. One of these tables also bore the fragment of a paper label, 'Benjamin Ridsdale, April 7th 179.'. The disparity in the dates of the furniture and the applied labels suggests that Benjamin Ridsdale may have been a restorer, gilder or painter working at the end of the 18th century in Yorkshire.
HORNBY CASTLE - SEAT OF THE DUKE OF LEEDS
In A true and complete Inventory of all the household furniture in the several apartments of Hornby Castle taken in May 1778, the tables are listed as, 'Four marble slabs with white carved frames' (Yorkshire Archaeological Society, DD5/26/29). The year 1778 was significant for the Conyers family because when the 4th Earl of Holdernesse died, the estate had no male heir and most of the deceased Earl's titles became extinct. Hornby Castle passed through the female line to the Dukes of Leeds; Lord Conyers' only daughter, Amelia Darcy, married Francis Godolphin Osborne, Marquess of Carmarthen, later Duke of Leeds. Hornby Castle remained in the possession of the Osborne family until it was sold, together with its contents, in 1930.
In 1838, the tables remained in the 'Great Hall' identifiable as, '2 carved and gilt japan'd pier tables with statuary marble slabs' and '2 do. [ditto] half circle pier tables with do. slabs' (DD5/20/5). In 1839, they were similarly described although this inventory detailed items selected by Her Grace the Dowager Duchess of Leeds, Lady Charlotte Townshend (d. 1856), daughter of George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend of Raynham, that she wished to keep in her personal collection, although there is no record that she or her furniture actually left Hornby Castle (DD5/12/6b). On the 14 July 1906, Country Life published a photograph of one of the demi-lune tables in the 'Great Hall' at Hornby Castle; in this period the tables were giltwood.
On 2nd June 1930 they were listed in the sale catalogue of the remaining contents of Hornby Castle as,
'Lot 78 A Georgian carved white painted and gilt rectangular console table, fluted frieze with lion masks in relief, on fluted square supports terminating in claw feet, veined white marble top, 7 ft. 6 in. Lot 79 The companion table, 7 ft. 6 in.
Lot 80 A similar table, of semi-circular shape, and veined white marble top, 6 ft. 4 in.
Lot 81 The companion table'
(Knight Frank & Rutley, A Catalogue of the Remaining Contents of Hornby Castle, Bedale, Yorks, 2 June 1930 and following days, First Day, lots 78-81).
Susan Weber Soros notes that 'the present location of these tables, last photographed in 1906, is not known' (Ed. S. Weber Soros, James 'Athenian' Stuart, New Haven and London, 2006, p. 441).
JAMES 'ATHENIAN' STUART AND WILLIAM CHAMBERS
The Earl of Holdernesse owned four pairs of similar tables, the two pairs offered here, lots 16 and 17, from Hornby Castle, and two further pairs at Holdernesse House, later Londonderry House, London. They differ only in the frieze decoration, the Hornby tables having fluted friezes, while the Holdernesse House tables had Greek-key friezes.
The commission for the present tables is usually attributed to James 'Athenian' Stuart, (d.1780), the architect, painter and archaeologist, who, following his Grand Tour, became a pioneer for the neo-classical and Greek Revival style, his significant achievements include work at Spencer House, London, from 1758. Although the Earl of Holdernesse's account books record only one payment to Stuart of /P50 in 1765, it is certain that, as architect-designer, Stuart significantly contributed to both Holdernesse House, and Hornby Castle. In 1766, John Carter sketched many of the ornamental details of Holdernesse House which indicate that Stuart designed ceilings, mantelpieces, friezes, entablatures and mouldings, and undoubtedly also furniture although this was not included in the sketch book (Weber Soros, ibid., p. 228).
Susan Weber Soros notes that the demi-lune model at Londonderry House was 'heavier in proportion and more archaeological in character than Stuart's other pier tables', and mentions their 'lion paws feet, and a large-scale triple rosette on the apron sets off the leg forms'. The suggestion is that these tables may be by another hand and indeed in 1765, Sir William Chambers (d. 1796) designed an almost identical table with a Greek-key frieze for an unknown client (Ed. J. Harris, M. Snodin, Sir William Chambers, Architect to George III, New Haven and London, 1997, p. 171, fig. 257).
However, the features detailed had already been executed by Stuart, for instance the pair of giltwood torchères designed for Spencer House, inspired by the 'Ara antica', a celebrated Roman marble antiquity from Hadrian's villa, later publicised in Piranesi's Antichita d'Albano e di Castel Gandolfo (1764). These tripod stands featured the same fluted tapering supports, rosette panels and lion paw-feet, and friezes displaying both fluted and Greek-key decoration. Thus Stuart is the true originator of the design, and Chambers the follower. The fluted frieze on the present tables was simply intended to match the fluted band of the chimneypiece and cornice in the 'Great Hall' at Hornby Castle.
Stuart designed a further two giltwood console tables with matching mirrors for the Great Room at Spencer House, now in the Great Room at Althorp, Northamptonshire. Each table has six square tapering legs, triple fluted like the present side tables but terminating in shaped 'French, peg feet. Although the friezes are similarly fluted, the Spencer House tables additionally have square block capitals carved with rosettes, heavy floral garlands and ornate guilloche-carved stretchers.
Stuart almost certainly borrowed the demi-lune form from antique models, such as a sarcophagus from Simpelveld in the Netherlands, now in the Rijksmuseum, with a semicircular top supported by lion monopodia.
BENJAMIN RIDSDALE
One of the demi-lune tables bears a paper label inscribed 'Benjamin Ridsdale April 7 17..'. This name is also recorded together with the date '7 May 1793' in pencil on a carved pine neo-classical side table in the neo-classical taste at Rokeby Park, Yorkshire. Benjamin Ridsdale is not listed as a cabinet-maker although there was a later Thomas Ridsdale working in York in 1820. A pair of George II carved mahogany side tables in the manner of Mathias Lock, circa 1740, were offered for sale at Sotheby's New York, 20 October 2006, lot 55. One of these tables also bore the fragment of a paper label, 'Benjamin Ridsdale, April 7th 179.'. The disparity in the dates of the furniture and the applied labels suggests that Benjamin Ridsdale may have been a restorer, gilder or painter working at the end of the 18th century in Yorkshire.