ATTRIBUTED TO GILLOWS, CIRCA 1785

Designed in the George III 'antique' manner promoted by the architect James Wyatt (d. 1813), with pierced anthemion splat, the armchairs correspond directly to a pattern dated March 1785 and drawn by Gillow of Lancaster in their Estimate Sketch Books (see S. Stuart; Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840, London, 2008, p. 175 and a related design p. 135). The basic pattern, however, was in existence earlier, featuring in 1775-80 on the trade card of Vickers and Routledge of Conduit Street, London (published in A. Heal, The London Furniture Makers, London, 1953, p. 72, pl. 9), as well as on the related suite of seat-furniture supplied to Lyonel, 5th Earl of Dysart for Ham House, Surrey around 1780 (P. Thornton, 'Ham House', Furniture History, 1980, fig. 188).

An identical suite of seat-furniture, comprising both open armchairs and matching window-seats was supplied by Gillow to George, 4th Earl and 1st Marquess Cholmondeley (1749-1827) for Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire, now at Houghton Hall. They are illustrated in P. Macquoid, The Age of Satinwood, London, 1908, figs. 102 and 115. A further set of four, seemingly identical but with castors, were sold from an Important Private Collection; Christie's, 19 September 2019, lots 135-136.