SOLD TO AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
A pair of Regency mahogany bergere armchairs attributed to George Bullock, circa 1815.
This fine pair of chairs are a rare survivor, particularly in such untouched condition.
They demonstrate a restrained design by a first rate designer/maker, with emphasis on the best materials; further complimented by the depth of their colour and surface patina.
Dimensions: 96cm high, 56cm wide, 67cm deep, the seats 50cm wide and 51cm deep
Provenance: Probably New Longwood House, St. Helena, the exile home of Napoleon; By repute, presented to a Senior British army officer in the 20th century; Thence by descent.
This pair of chairs appear to be one of four pairs supplied by George Bullock for New Longwood House, St. Helena as part of an extraordinarily lavish commission of Furniture and Furnishings by the British Government for Napoleon following his defeat at Waterloo. They are probably the chairs referred to in ‘George Bullock’s Account for Furniture Supplied to St. Helena, 1816’ as ‘To 2 Arm Chairs & Cushions…£16 16s’, two chairs for each of the four Officers’ sitting rooms (Figures 1 & 2 below).
After Napoleon’s death, most of the contents of New Longwood House were offered for sale by auction over ten days between April 1st and August 12th 1822.
Figure 1. Detail of elevation for proposed Officer’s Sitting Room, from the workshop of George Bullock
Figure 2. Plan and elevations for proposed Sitting Room for an Officer,
from the workshop of George Bullock
A chair (Figures 3 & 4) matching the above pair of chairs was reputedly either given by Napoleon to the Rev. Richard Boys, or purchased by him on the seventh day of the New Longwood House Sale, May 20th 1822, as lot 434, ‘1 Arm Chair and Cushion…Rev. R. Boys £9 9s‘.
Figures 3 & 4. Bergere armchair attributed to the workshop of George Bullock, owned by Rev. Richard Boys
A pair of mahogany bergere chairs attributed to George Bullock (Figures 5, 6 & 7) with foliate cut brass inlaid seat rails, sold at Olympia, London, 1990, feature matching carved circular form flowerhead mounts inset into the frames in exactly the same manner as the above pair of chairs (Figure 8).
Figure 5. One of a pair of mahogany and brass inlaid bergere armchairs attributed to George Bullock
Figure 6. Design for an armchair by George Bullock
Figure 7. Detail of a pair of mahogany and brass inlaid
bergere armchairs (Figure 5) attributed to George Bullock
Figure 8. Detail of one of the pair of chairs for sale
‘In the early 19th century, George Bullock’s Grecian furniture was elegant and refined almost to the point of minimalism.’ In 1815, Bullock was famed as being amongst London’s ‘most tasteful and ingenious artists‘ and attracted a distinguished clientele including Sir Walter Scott, James Watt Junior and Matthew Boulton. Bullock’s furnishings at New Longwood House, designed by architect William Atkinson, were designed to harmonise with the architecture ‘in the pure simplicity of the Grecian style‘, and were intended to provide ‘every possible gratification and comfort’ for the ex-Emperor.
Figures 9 & 10. Designs by George Bullock, incorporating similar elements to the pair of chairs for sale
References
British Library, Lowe Papers (Figures 1 & 2)
Levy (M.) ‘Napoleon in Exile’, 1998 (Figures 3 & 4)
Victoria & Albert Museum, Clive Wainwright’s archive and copies of the Wilkinson Tracings (Figures 5, 6, 7, 9 & 10)
