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拍品專文
The present pair of chairs originally formed part of a well-documented suite comprising sixteen armchairs, two bergère chairs, and a sofa commissioned by the famous 18th century actor and playwright David Garrick (1717-1779) from Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779) for the Saloon at No. 5, Royal Adelphi Terrace, London, England, in 1772.
The Terrace was a block of eleven houses designed by Robert and James Adam, and at the time it was the largest neoclassical building in the capital (fig.1). When difficulties in construction pushed the Adam brothers near bankruptcy, their friend David Garrick intervened and bought No. 5, becoming their first occupant. A lottery to raise funds and to sell further houses saved the project from collapse (‘Notable Sales’, Ronald Phillips, Ref. 4432541).
Garrick was one of Thomas Chippendale’s greatest patrons and clients, and as a prominent public figure his enormous commissions provided Chippendale with expansive public exposure beyond his aristocratic subscribers. Garrick commissioned furniture from Chippendale from at least 1768-1778, as documented in several sources, most notably a series of accounts now at the National Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Following on from the success of his first decade in business directly with public patrons, catalyzed by three editions of the Director and new larger workshop premises on St. Martin’s Lane, Chippendale was by 1768 already underway with two of his most celebrated and extensive commissions for Harewood House and Nostell Priory, which were similarly in collaboration with the greatest neoclassical architect Robert Adam. Indeed it was Adam’s confidence in Chippendale’s abilities to execute furnishings and collaborate with him on these vast new houses which resulted in continuing success, ensuring that by 1770 Chippendale was at the very apex of his career.
Around this time the first-floor Drawing Room at No. 5 Royal Adelphi Terrace was designed by Robert Adam and entirely furnished by Chippendale. The ceiling, executed by Joseph Rose, is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Thomas Chippendale’s bill to Garrick for the Drawing Room suite, dated 28 February 1772, states:
To 12 very neat carv'd Cabreole arm'd Chairs, Japan'd Green & white, stuffd & cover'd with Green silk Damask & finish'd with Gilt nails' (£48)
Fine Serge Covers to Ditto
2 ditto Burjairs Japan’d in the same manner stuff d in linnen & a fine feather Cushion to do
A large Carved Sofa to Match the Chairs, Japan’d Green & White, stuffd and cover’d with your Damask and finishd with Gilt Nails, a large feather Cushion cover’d with Do and Castors.
and later in the text,
4 neat carv'd Cabreole Armd chairs, Japand Green & white to match the others & stuffd in Linen' Green Serge Cases (£14 12 Shillings)
An inventory from 1797 lists the green and white-japanned suite in the Drawing Room indicating it remained in the collection. It also shared that other rooms had similar japanned furniture, and the four armchairs invoiced later were placed in the back room on the second floor.
Following the deaths of David Garrick in 1779 and his wife Eva Maria 43 years later in 1822, a series of auctions between 1822 and 1823 sold off the contents of both their houses. The auction catalogue of Messrs. Burrell & Sons from 3 July 1823 which sold the effects from the Adelphi house listed the suite from the Drawing Room. For the sale, the suite was divided into four lots:
Lot 13 Four japanned cabriole chairs with crimson damask, 2 bergiere, ditto, with feathered cushion, and 2 stools with cushions.
Lot 20 A japanned cabriole sofa, covered with green silk, damask and down cushions.
Lot 21 Two bergere chairs to correspond, with down stuffed in canvas cushions, in white leather and damask cases.
Lot 22 Twelve cabriole chairs (en suite).
As per the above description, lot 13 included four armchairs and two bergère chairs from the suite, however, the two stools were not part of the original commission.
Since the dispersal of the Garrick collection, parts of the suite have appeared on the international art market. The settee was with Fleming & Meers Ltd., Washington, DC, and was offered for sale to the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama; however, the trail goes cold from there. One bergère chair is now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum; the companion is in the Bolling Hall Museum, Bradford, England. A single armchair was sold by Hotspur Ltd., London, in the 1970s per the company archive; and a further single armchair was recently sold by Ronald Phillips Ltd., London.
The Terrace was a block of eleven houses designed by Robert and James Adam, and at the time it was the largest neoclassical building in the capital (fig.1). When difficulties in construction pushed the Adam brothers near bankruptcy, their friend David Garrick intervened and bought No. 5, becoming their first occupant. A lottery to raise funds and to sell further houses saved the project from collapse (‘Notable Sales’, Ronald Phillips, Ref. 4432541).
Garrick was one of Thomas Chippendale’s greatest patrons and clients, and as a prominent public figure his enormous commissions provided Chippendale with expansive public exposure beyond his aristocratic subscribers. Garrick commissioned furniture from Chippendale from at least 1768-1778, as documented in several sources, most notably a series of accounts now at the National Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Following on from the success of his first decade in business directly with public patrons, catalyzed by three editions of the Director and new larger workshop premises on St. Martin’s Lane, Chippendale was by 1768 already underway with two of his most celebrated and extensive commissions for Harewood House and Nostell Priory, which were similarly in collaboration with the greatest neoclassical architect Robert Adam. Indeed it was Adam’s confidence in Chippendale’s abilities to execute furnishings and collaborate with him on these vast new houses which resulted in continuing success, ensuring that by 1770 Chippendale was at the very apex of his career.
Around this time the first-floor Drawing Room at No. 5 Royal Adelphi Terrace was designed by Robert Adam and entirely furnished by Chippendale. The ceiling, executed by Joseph Rose, is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Thomas Chippendale’s bill to Garrick for the Drawing Room suite, dated 28 February 1772, states:
To 12 very neat carv'd Cabreole arm'd Chairs, Japan'd Green & white, stuffd & cover'd with Green silk Damask & finish'd with Gilt nails' (£48)
Fine Serge Covers to Ditto
2 ditto Burjairs Japan’d in the same manner stuff d in linnen & a fine feather Cushion to do
A large Carved Sofa to Match the Chairs, Japan’d Green & White, stuffd and cover’d with your Damask and finishd with Gilt Nails, a large feather Cushion cover’d with Do and Castors.
and later in the text,
4 neat carv'd Cabreole Armd chairs, Japand Green & white to match the others & stuffd in Linen' Green Serge Cases (£14 12 Shillings)
An inventory from 1797 lists the green and white-japanned suite in the Drawing Room indicating it remained in the collection. It also shared that other rooms had similar japanned furniture, and the four armchairs invoiced later were placed in the back room on the second floor.
Following the deaths of David Garrick in 1779 and his wife Eva Maria 43 years later in 1822, a series of auctions between 1822 and 1823 sold off the contents of both their houses. The auction catalogue of Messrs. Burrell & Sons from 3 July 1823 which sold the effects from the Adelphi house listed the suite from the Drawing Room. For the sale, the suite was divided into four lots:
Lot 13 Four japanned cabriole chairs with crimson damask, 2 bergiere, ditto, with feathered cushion, and 2 stools with cushions.
Lot 20 A japanned cabriole sofa, covered with green silk, damask and down cushions.
Lot 21 Two bergere chairs to correspond, with down stuffed in canvas cushions, in white leather and damask cases.
Lot 22 Twelve cabriole chairs (en suite).
As per the above description, lot 13 included four armchairs and two bergère chairs from the suite, however, the two stools were not part of the original commission.
Since the dispersal of the Garrick collection, parts of the suite have appeared on the international art market. The settee was with Fleming & Meers Ltd., Washington, DC, and was offered for sale to the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama; however, the trail goes cold from there. One bergère chair is now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum; the companion is in the Bolling Hall Museum, Bradford, England. A single armchair was sold by Hotspur Ltd., London, in the 1970s per the company archive; and a further single armchair was recently sold by Ronald Phillips Ltd., London.