DOI Heft:
Nr. 341 (October 1925)
DOI Artikel:Holberton, Jane: The Chippendale mystery
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19986#0029
mceRnACionAL
to do so. Three portraits of this
Chippendale have been traced
by C. H. Holmes of the Na-
tional Gallery—(i) by J. Porter,
R. A. No. 375, dated 1792 and
(2) miniatures by J. T. Barber,
R.A., 1798, also listed as No. 375.
Sir John Soane's Museum,
Lincoln's Inn Field, London,
has in its possession a chair, the
authenticity of which is based
on a bill of sale dated 1725. As
the second Chippendale was
then only a boy, the father
must have made it. Although
well made, it is hardly a tasteful
piece. Perhaps the same hand
is also responsible for the more
impractical, greatly over-orna-
mented designs in the Director
of 1759. One can imagine the
son who was then between forty
and fifty, glad to have his father
absorbed in the publication of
the book while he, unmolested,
went on with his never ceasing
experiments of new forms and
designs.
Sir Thomas Baring, Gov-
ernor of Barbados, Commis-
sioner of Excise, seems to be the 1 - m I eat; Lord Chesterfield, Gibbon,
figure two. commode in the french manner
only close friend traceable. An A Goldsmith, Sir Joshua Reynolds, all
amateur architect of no mean ability mRSk. of whom were contemporary mem-
and the sponsor of Chippendale at JIHEnHL bers with Chippendale, 2nd, and
the Society of Arts in the year 1760, made a rendezvous of the cabinet-
the same year the then twenty-year- maker's, for in those days most fine
old Boswell was elected. Sir William pieces were made to order from de-
Chamber's book of the East was a vg signs that must be frequently dis-
source of inspiration as must have cussed to determine which quirk or
been also the club fellowship with angle was preferable. Hogarth,
Sir Francis Baring, founder and •tMOh whose studio was nearby, immortal-
chairman ol the East India Com- ized many of Chippendale's pieces
pany. So, although lacking a fine in his work as for instance in "Mar-
education, he had the advantage, riage a. La Mode." One must not
in his later years, of association with I overlook the fact that the cabinet-
men who had had the best and who maker shared with the architect the
were outstanding figures in that age Mh VhtUBuM profession of interior decorator,
of decided personalities. Among ih, JM which only lately has become spe-
these were Lord Sandwich, elected cialized.
in 1758, whose name has become a
daily by-word simply because he Figure one.—An arm chair not
asked to have meat brought to him Mm dissimilar to the piece at Sloane's is
in such a fashion that he need not ! ■flH 1 markedly early Chippendale. I can
leave the gaming table in order to find no design like it in the Director.
The splat is one of the many varia-
figure three, occasional table I ml^mmum*mmmm^ammm^ | t ions of the vase shape with strap
october I925
twenty-nine
to do so. Three portraits of this
Chippendale have been traced
by C. H. Holmes of the Na-
tional Gallery—(i) by J. Porter,
R. A. No. 375, dated 1792 and
(2) miniatures by J. T. Barber,
R.A., 1798, also listed as No. 375.
Sir John Soane's Museum,
Lincoln's Inn Field, London,
has in its possession a chair, the
authenticity of which is based
on a bill of sale dated 1725. As
the second Chippendale was
then only a boy, the father
must have made it. Although
well made, it is hardly a tasteful
piece. Perhaps the same hand
is also responsible for the more
impractical, greatly over-orna-
mented designs in the Director
of 1759. One can imagine the
son who was then between forty
and fifty, glad to have his father
absorbed in the publication of
the book while he, unmolested,
went on with his never ceasing
experiments of new forms and
designs.
Sir Thomas Baring, Gov-
ernor of Barbados, Commis-
sioner of Excise, seems to be the 1 - m I eat; Lord Chesterfield, Gibbon,
figure two. commode in the french manner
only close friend traceable. An A Goldsmith, Sir Joshua Reynolds, all
amateur architect of no mean ability mRSk. of whom were contemporary mem-
and the sponsor of Chippendale at JIHEnHL bers with Chippendale, 2nd, and
the Society of Arts in the year 1760, made a rendezvous of the cabinet-
the same year the then twenty-year- maker's, for in those days most fine
old Boswell was elected. Sir William pieces were made to order from de-
Chamber's book of the East was a vg signs that must be frequently dis-
source of inspiration as must have cussed to determine which quirk or
been also the club fellowship with angle was preferable. Hogarth,
Sir Francis Baring, founder and •tMOh whose studio was nearby, immortal-
chairman ol the East India Com- ized many of Chippendale's pieces
pany. So, although lacking a fine in his work as for instance in "Mar-
education, he had the advantage, riage a. La Mode." One must not
in his later years, of association with I overlook the fact that the cabinet-
men who had had the best and who maker shared with the architect the
were outstanding figures in that age Mh VhtUBuM profession of interior decorator,
of decided personalities. Among ih, JM which only lately has become spe-
these were Lord Sandwich, elected cialized.
in 1758, whose name has become a
daily by-word simply because he Figure one.—An arm chair not
asked to have meat brought to him Mm dissimilar to the piece at Sloane's is
in such a fashion that he need not ! ■flH 1 markedly early Chippendale. I can
leave the gaming table in order to find no design like it in the Director.
The splat is one of the many varia-
figure three, occasional table I ml^mmum*mmmm^ammm^ | t ions of the vase shape with strap
october I925
twenty-nine