Chippendale Design Gainsborough Armchair

The Chippendale Gainsborough armchair. This handsome carved mahogany library or “Gainsborough” armchair has a gently curving back and shaped a...

A mid-19th century Chippendale style mahogany Gainsborough chair having serpentine-topped upholstered back and floral carved set-back arms abo...

A pair of Chippendale style upholstered armchairs by Southwood, their Gainsborough. Mahogany frame, a light green color brocade fabric upholstery, upholstered scroll arms, decorative...

A very fine George III period Gainsborough armchair of superb quality and large scale, attributable to Wright and Elwick. English, circa 1760. Why we like it We love the imposing scale of this iconic design from the mid-18th century, superbly handcrafted and beautifully reupholstered in a luxurious Claremont silk damask. Provenance With a pre-1903 label underneath reading GEO TROLLOPE & SONS / BELGRAVE SQUARE, / LONDON, S.W.  Attribution This armchair relates to 'French Chair' designs in the George II picturesque manner illustrated in Thomas Chippendale's The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director, London, 1754. The pattern relates closely to a suite of five library armchairs from Swinton in Yorkshire and now attributed to the Yorkshire cabinet-makers, Wright and Elwick, who were known to have worked for William Danby at Swinton in around 1775, and who were both subscribers to the first edition of the Director. The suite was sold by the Earl of Swinton and the Hon. Nicholas Cunliffe-Lister, from Swinton House, Masham, Yorkshire, in Christie's house sale, 20-21 October 1975, lot 17.  Wright and Elwick Established in 1747 by Richard Wright and Edward Elwick, this prolific partnership '[had] the honour to serve most of the Nobility & Gentry in the West and North Rideing' (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, eds., Dictionary of English Furniture-Makers 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, pp. 1006-1008). Certainly, records indicate that they received patronage from such distinguished clients as Sir Rowland Winn at Nostell Priory, the Duke of Norfolk at Worksop Manor, Viscount Irwin at Temple Newsam House, John Spencer at Cannon Hall and most notably, the Marquess of Rockingham at Wentworth Woodhouse.  A pair of virtually identical armchairs is in the collestion of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. An identical armchair was sold Christie's, London, Ronald Phillips Ltd - Making Room, 2 July 2014, Lot 69. The design also corresponds to a chair in the collection at Southill, Bedfordshire (P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, rev. ed., 1954, vol. I, p. 277, fig. 160). A pair of armchairs of this form was sold Christie’s New York, 19 October 2000, lot 100 ($182,000); a single chair of virtually identical form was sold Christie's London, 15 April 1999, lot 65; a further related pair was sold Sotheby's London, 5 July 1997, lot 58. George Trollope & Sons - Retailers The  firm, established in 1820 as 'paper hangers...

A fine quality mid-19th century Chippendale style mahogany Gainsborough armchair, having serpentine back above acanthus leaf and blind fret carved set-back arms supported on fret car...

18th century Gainsborough armchair in the manner of Chippendale with ribbon carved apron supported by cabriole leg adorned with C-scroll m...