Monthly Archives: October 2014
Picture This XXXVI
Anomalies in late seventeenth- and eighteenth-century British furniture are as diverse as the abilities of its creators. Then, as now, fashions were fastidiously followed, but cost, availability of modish materials and competency frequently cast a shadow on the end product … Continue reading
18th Century, Birth of Design, Furniture Masterpieces from 1650 to 1790
An exhibition From 28 October 2014 to 22 February 2015, the Palace of Versailles is hosting the exhibition “18th Century, Birth of Design, Furniture Masterpieces from 1650 to 1790” in the Africa and Crimea Rooms. The exhibition offers a glimpse … Continue reading
Picture This XXXV
Lopers are employed in bachelor’s chests etc. to support their fold-out leaves and in bureaux to support their falls. I covered the installation of lopers in A George II ash bureau – Part VII. As I mentioned during the construction … Continue reading
Proportion, Formulae and Aesthetics
Following on from Getting a Handle on Proportion, it appears that my dismissal of some of the classic rules of proportion (comment 9) has caused upset amongst the ranks. One reader who emailed me attached two pictures of chests with dimensional … Continue reading
Stuffed
Washing machine repairer, Paddy Devlin, took a glass-cased, stuffed dog along to the Antiques Roadshow when it recently visited Hillsborough Castle near his hometown of Lisburn in Northern Ireland. Taxidermy Chihuahua, possibly by John Hancock, late nineteenth-century. (Christie’s) “Ooh”, purred … Continue reading
The Coronation of King George II
The baroque composer, George Frideric Handel, was born in Germany in 1685, but settled in London in 1712 where he received a salary from Queen Anne. Handel was naturalised in 1727 by act of King George I, who also commissioned … Continue reading
Picture This XXXIV
This French commode does not compare to the handsome furniture I normally post here, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to include it for a solely puerile reason: Bear feet. (Tarquin Bilgen) Jack Plane
Young and Trotter Furniture at Bonhams
Furniture made by the celebrated eighteenth-century Scottish cabinetmakers, Young and Trotter is coming up for auction at Bonham’s Autumn Antique and Picture Sale in Edinburgh on the 16th of October, 2014. The five lots comprise a mahogany and boxwood strung … Continue reading
Pegs and 'Tails 