A George II mahogany sofa, circa 1740, after William Kent

The strongly-defined low-relief carving on the mahogany legs of this settee is typical of the Kentian style of English furniture, employing characteristic motifs like scallop shells and trailing husks, and is taken directly from a model by Kent himself at Rousham Hall in Oxfordshire. At that time the seat of the Dormer family, the Jacobean building of Rousham was brought up to date by Kent in the late 1730s and early 1740s under General James Dormer (1679-1741). Kent’s work on the gardens, a fine early application of Alexander Pope’s writings on the English landscape garden, remains celebrated; however, much of Kent’s furniture also survives to this day, including a suite of seat furniture with legs of this design. They are pictured in the Country Life shoots at Rousham both in 1910 and 1946,^1,2 and are also pictured and discussed directly in Susan Weber’s monumental 2013 study of Kent’s œuvre.³ The only difference is the surface decoration of the Rousham examples, which are parcel-gilt and painted, and also the Vitruvian scroll carving on the Rousham examples, which runs between the scallop shells in the area covered by upholstery on this model.

William Kent (1685–1748) was one of the most significant architects and designers of the 18^th century. After an extended trip to Italy from 1709 to 1719, he infused English design with a clearer Italianite influence and was a key figure in the establishment of the Palladian architectural style. As well as contributing to Some Designs of Mr Inigo Jones and Mr William Kent in 1744, he was also commissioned to design and decorate the interiors for numerous residences belonging to the nobility and royalty. The palaces and country houses featuring his designs include Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Houghton Hall and Chiswick House, still preserve his work and are among the finest period residences in the country.

¹ ‘Rousham, Oxfordshire, the Seat of Mr. C. Cottrell Dormer’, in Country Life, 26^th February 1910, p.315.

² Christopher Hussey, ‘Rousham Oxfordshire – II, The Property of Mr. T. Cattrell-Dormer’, in Country Life, 24^th May 1946, p.947.

³ Susan Weber, ‘The Well of Inspiration: Sources for Kent’s Furniture Designs’, in William Kent; Designing Georgian Britain, ed. Susan Weber, London, 2013, p.458.