A George III giltwood sofa in a manner of Francois Hervé circa 1785

A pair of chairs inscribed 3071 Hubberd  was sold at Christie's, London, November 17, 1983, lot 49.  Probably made en suite with the present settee, which also has an inner back seat rail inscribed in an 18th century hand in ink 3875 Hubberd.  Another settee with the inner back seat rail inscribed with the a four-digit number, also starting with 7 and signed Herve was sold in these rooms, April 18, 2002, lot 652 (please see lot 208 in this sale for an armchair with similar decoration).  This name probably refers to François Hervé (fl. 1781-1796) who is recorded at 32 Johns Street, off Tottenham Court Road, and appears to have formerly been in partnership with John Meschain at the same address.  Hervé, who was presumably of French origin, is known to have worked for a number of fashionable patrons, including the Prince of Wales, Earl Spencer and the Duke of Devonshire, as Beard and Gilbert remark, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, pp. 423-424, `his style is now best represented by the documented pieces at Chatsworth where it can be seen as a light, elegant and adroit mixture of English and French detail', a statement that can be clearly related to the present settee; see Burlington Magazine, June 1980, `A Neoclassical episode at Chatsworth', Ivan Hall, pp. 400-414.  He is also known to have worked in conjunction with several leading architects including Henry Holland, John Carr and James Wyatt at Heveningham Hall.  A number of pieces survive with this latter provenance and are conceived in a similar fashion with delicately carved gilded detail.

It is worth noting that the underframing has cut-out notches for glue cramps and holes for battens, features also found on seat furniture made by Thomas Chippendale, Mayhew and Ince and John Linnell.