A rare set of twelve George III mahogany open arm chairs in the French Hepplewhite taste, each with a fully upholstered rounded back and padded cabriole arms, the shaped seat rail raised upon restrained cabriole legs. English, circa 1775.
Lord and Lady Marks of Broughton
Sotheby’s, 18th of February 1972, lot
Bought by Pelham Galleries
A private English collection
The chairs featured in an advert for the 1972 Sotheby’s sale placed in Country Life on the 27th of January 1972 where described as ‘twelve George III mahogany armchairs in the French style’
They were also one of a small number of lots in the sale listed on the title page in the catalogue (using precisely the same wording as in the sale advert)
This very fine set of armchairs was conceived in what has become known as the French Hepplewhite manner. They mirror French styles but seen through the prism of Hepplewhite and the designs associated with his school at this time. Made from dense and heavy Cuban mahogany of the finest possible quality, these armchairs have exceptional proportions. The graceful kick of the cabriole legs and, in particular, the wonderfully sculptural form of the arm supports with their gadrooned upper surfaces being textbook examples of the work of the finest workshops of the period. The mahogany has acquired a lovely colour and patination.
This model of armchair is one which is often associated with the work of John Cobb, the oyal cabinetmaker in this period. His workshop produced numerous variations on the French Hepplewhite theme and the quality of these chairs is such that they could certainly have been produced by the firm. The design of the chairs, in particular the arms, relate closely to a design published by Thomas Malton in 1775 in his Compleat Treatise on Perspective, plate XXXV, fig.139
Finding a long set of period armchairs is very difficult and there are not many surviving sets of twelve chairs which are not in stately home collections. It is no surprise, therefore, to find that this set has passed through the hands of the great dealers Pelham Galleries, run for many generations by the Rubin family and one of the most important of all the great London dealers. The Rubins acquired the set from a sale at Sotheby’s on the 18th of February 1972 and they came from the estate of the late Lord and Lady Marks. Lord Marks was Baron Simon Marks of Broughton (1888-1964), son of the founder of the Marks and Spencer department store chain and one of the two men who turned a thriving small business in to a giant of British retail. Lord Marks lived in number 47 Grosvenor Square, London, and at Titlarks Farm in Sunningdale, Berkshire. More recently the chairs were in another important British private collection, having been there since acquired through Pelham Galleries later in 1972.
Related pairs of chairs that have sold in the past include Christie’s 16th of April 2002, lot 12 ($28,680)
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-3896984
but we have not been able to find another comparable set of this size. A true rarity and a decorator and collector’s delight.
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