A fine and rare English painted-tôle ebonized and parcel-gilt secretaire bookcase the tôle panels, last quarter 18th century, the carcass late 18th and early 19th century

the superstructure with a baluster gallery surmounted by urn finials above a central oval mirrored door, the spandrels painted with floral sprays and opening to shelves, flanked by cupboard doors painted with scenes after Hogarth within fluted frames and opening to drawers; the projecting lower part with a secretary drawer painted with a fox hunting scene and opening to an interior fitted with small drawers, above two doors painted with theatrical scenes and opening to drawers, centering a recessed kneehole with a cupboard door painted with a figure of David Garrick as Hamlet and opening to shelves, raised on bracket feet; the sides painted with trompe l'oeil game trophies, still lives and theatrical scenes.

Mr. James Wilson Leakin, purchased 1923, and bequeathed to the Maryland Historical Society
Flemming & Meers, Washington D.C.

Good condition; very finely painted; the paint to the tole panels in excellent condition maintaining the majority of the original surface with areas of inpainting; the lower carcase appears to be an 18th century secretaire though the interior of the secretaire appears to have been re-fitted in the 19th century and the drawers behind the doors of the base appear to be later; the upper section appears to be an 18th century carcass with 19th century drawers and alterations; please note that the finial to the front left corner of the upper section is present and attached to the piece and is not as shown in the photograph; one finial with loss to the tip and one finial broken and lacking. Overall the piece is very decorative and the panels are very well painted. The lower right side tole panel lifting away from the carcase slightly but not as badly as it appears in the photograph; top right painted tole panel to the upper section with a scratch which can be seen in the catalogue illustration; the interior of the secretaire drawer to the lower section with a later baize lined writing surface and a small veneer patch to the central drawer; some restorations to the painted surface to the side panels of the upper section. Please note that this lot contains ivory and may require a license for export.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Traditionally known as the 'Garrick Desk,' this exceptional bureau cabinet is conceived as a memorial to the great 18th century actor and impresario, David Garrick, whose career is commemorated here in a remarkable series of painted panels illustrating scenes from some of his most famous performances.

Born in 1717, Garrick studied as a boy under the celebrated wit and writer, Dr. Samuel Johnson, who became a lifelong friend.  On Johnson's advice, he took to the stage, and after a successful run in London and the provinces, joined the management of Drury Lane Theatre, where he quickly established himself as the foremost actor-manager of his generation.  With an equal talent for comedy and tragedy, Garrick excelled in every branch of the theatre and was especially well-known for his masterful staging of plays of Shakespeare.  Alongside his activities as an actor-manager, Garrick also found time to write plays and poetry.  He travelled on the Continent, meeting with Diderot and other leading figures of the Enlightenment, whilst at home he was lionized by the nobility and gentry, moving in the same distinguished circle as Reynolds and Sheridan.  On his death in 1779, a monument was erected to Garrick in Westminster Abbey, and his memory was likewise honored by the founding of the Garrick Club and the Garrick Theatre in London.

The Garrick Desk provides a further reminder of the actor's continuing appeal and the veneration in which he is still held today.  The painted panels, which form the principal decoration of the desk, show Garrick in a variety of roles, together with other actors with whom he was associated.  Most are copies after well-known paintings, here represented in reverse, indication that the painter worked from engravings.

The central inset panel beneath the secretary drawer is based on Benjamin Wilson's portrait of Garrick in the role of Hamlet, as engraved by J. McArdell in 1754, and reissued in 1769 as a line engraving by R. Sayer and J. Smith.  The role of Hamlet was one with which Garrick had his first major success during the period he spent in Dublin in 1742.

The lower side panel on the left side of the desk, illustrated detail, is taken from Zoffany's picture of Garrick in the role of Sir John Brute, dressed as a woman, in 'The Provoked Wife' by Sir John Vanbrugh.  Garrick first played this part in 1747 and the play was given almost one hundred performances over a period of thirty years.  Zoffany's original painting was exhibited at the Society of Artists in 1765 and was engraved in 1768.

The lower left-hand panel, also produced in detail, is taken from another painting by Zoffany, representing a scene from the play 'Love in a Village,' with two of Garrick's closest associates: Edward Shuter and John Dunstall.  The play was first given at Covent Garden in 1762 and Zoffany's picture, engraved by John Finlayson in 1766, was exhibited at the Society of Artists the following year.

The lower right-hand panel is taken from the third picture by Zoffany, representing a scene from 'The Mayor of Garratt,' as engraved by J. Haid.  The figures are the actors Robert Baddeley and Samuel Foote, an unusual choice since Foote was Garrick's arch rival and a bitter personal enemy.

Of the two upper panels, that on the left, is based on an engraving by Gravelot after a picture by Francis Hayman representing a scene from Shakespeare's 'Henry IV - Part I.'  The other panel, though as yet unidentified, would also seem to represent a theatrical scene with probable associations with Garrick.

A George III mahogany and satinwood bureau cabinet, circa 1780, of similar form and painted with panels en grisaille with portraits of Milton and Shakespeare, was sold, Sotheby's London, May 1, 1987, lot 90.