ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE, CIRCA 1775

This sofa corresponds closely to Thomas Chippendale’s (1718-1779) neo-classical designs, fashionable in the 1770s. Although Chippendale's earlier designs in the Rococo, Chinese and ‘Gothick’ manner, published in the Director established his reputation, it is his superb neo-classical furniture which illustrates his unsurpassed mastery of material, technique and design that is most admired and sought after today. This sofa is a standard Chippendale model which a craftsman could modify with additional embellishments, carving or modification to suit his client’s individual taste, ensuring that each piece was unique. A drawing for an oval-back armchair showing some of these different treatments, inscribed ‘Chipindale’ by his patron William Constable (1721-91) remains in the collection at Burton Constable, Yorkshire (C. Gilbert, The Life & Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. II, p. 115, fig. 202).

The present sofa was part of an extensive suite of seat-furniture comprising sofas, armchairs, bergères and window seats. Part of this suite was sold anonymously at Christie’s, New York, 17 October 1981, lot 186 and comprised a sofa, illustrated here and possibly the present lot, with four armchairs. A further pair of armchairs were offered anonymously at Christie’s, London, 22 May 2019, lot 30. The suite’s design closely relates to a pair of sofas, circa 1773¸ en suite with a pair of armchairs (later enlarged by the addition of thirteen single chairs in two sizes and a pair of bergères) which was Chippendale’s only recognized Royal commission. It was probably made for Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1743-1805) and intended for his London residence, Gloucester House, Park Lane, or for one of his country seats, St Leonard's Hill, Cranbourne Lodge (both Berkshire) or Bagshot Park, Surrey (RCIN 100204; 100201; 100202; Ibid, p. 200, fig. 365).