Object Description
[Full research available upon request]
Attributed to Marsh & Tatham
The giltwood chairs in the Greek Revival style, with sabre legs to the front and back, the side seat rails of undulating outline with foliate relief carving continuing on the scrolled backrests. The original horsehair padded upholstery recently recovered.
English, Circa 1810
A rare survival of the Greek Revival in England, only a small number of related commissions and designs have been documented.
A related set of dining chairs forms part of the furniture at Buckingham Palace, of identical side profile to the present set, though lacking an upholstered back and differing in surface treatment. The royal set of chairs were made by Marsh & Tatham for the gothic dining room at Carlton House. This room was directly inspired by Walsh Porter’s dining room at Craven Cottage, a close friend of the Prince Regent who ultimately took over from Henry Holland as the chief interior designer of Carlton House (Collard p. 56). Holland’s Greco-roman vision for the furnishings of the princely palace nevertheless still held sway after his passing in 1806, as the dining chairs dating to 1813 are described as ‘Antique,’ referring to their classical design influences (Roberts p. 67 & p. 69, illus fig. 55 on p. 74).
Further clues pointing to Henry Holland’s influence are apparent when compared to the armchairs made for Southill (Watson pl. 46). Interestingly, a letter dated 1800 in the Southill archives mentions Marsh & Tatham as the employed cabinetmaker (Watson p. 38), who also supplied the dining chairs for the Royal household. Similarly, Holland’s late 18th century design of an armchair (set of four) for Sir William Lee at Colworth House, and later transferred to Hartwell (occupied from 1808-1815 by the exiled Louis XVIII) repeat the same form, and “must be by the same maker” (Jourdain p.18). Related to the Colworth House chairs is the important suite made for Harewood House (Christie’s 13 Dec 2019, lot 127-131), whose account books reveal substantial payments to Marsh & Tatham. The design was also seen on the set of six armchairs made for Lord Brownlow at Belton House, Lincolnshire (NT 434872).