H. Hayward and P. Kirkham, William and John Linnell (London: 1980)
A pair of George III carved and gilded armchairs, the shaped husk-carved backs surmounted by a ribbon-tied bow above rosette, acanthus and husk-carved down sweeping arms, the fluted and serpentine seat rails raised on turned and fluted tapering legs capped with paterae and hung with swags, terminating in block feet.
This impressive pair of armchairs relates closely to a suite of seat furniture of circa 1770-1775 attributed to cabinet-maker John Linnell (H. Hayward and P. Kirkham, William and John Linnell, London, 1980, p. 44, figs. 84-85). One of the armchairs from this suite comprising chairs and settees is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (fig.1). The attribution is based on a Linnell drawing of circa 1768-1770 which shares similar features (op cit. p. 43, fig. 83).
The chairs’ swags to the tops of the legs directly relate to fashionable Louis XVI furniture and features as ormolu mounts on documented examples of Linnell furniture, notably games tables supplied to both the Duke of Northumberland for Alnwick Castle and Viscount Scarsdale for Kedleston Hall (op cit. pp. 141-143, figs. 279-281). The fluting of the seat-rails and bell-flower carving is mirrored in the marquetry designs found on Linnell's case furniture of this period.
John Linnell was one of the foremost cabinet-makers and designers of the second half of the eighteenth century. The Chinese inspired furniture he supplied to the Duke of Beaufort for Badminton House is considered some of the finest of its type and the magnificent suites of furniture supplied to Viscount Scarsdale for Kedleston Hall, most especially the four settees for the Blue Drawing Room, widely regarded one of the most outstanding commissions of the period.
He worked with leading interior designer and architect Robert Adam, providing furniture for some of his most important commissions, namely (and in addition to Kedleston) Osterley Park and Syon House, and supplied furniture to numerous other aristocratic clients across Britain.