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Workshop of George Wickes (1698-1761)
Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
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Description
- Workshop of George Wickes (1698-1761)
- Design for a silver chandelier, for Houghton Hall, Norfolk
- Red chalk over pencil, on two sheets of watermarked laid paper;
inscribed upper right: In the corronett [sic] will be the Balance of Louster / which for want of Room is exsprest [sic] Here - 553 by 778 mm
Condition
The work has been well preserved, the red chalk is clear and the paper is largely free from discolouration. There are occasional areas of minor paper discolouration and the creases - where the sheets were folded (probably by the artist) - can easily be seen. The sheets are not laid down, but are attached to their backboards at various places verso.
For further information on this lot please contact Mark Griffith-Jones on 0207 293 5083 or mark.griffithjones@sothebys.com
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
George Wickes recorded in his ledger on the 20th August 1743, that he supplied Sir Robert Walpole with ‘two large drawings of a lustre for the house at Houghton.’1 Alongside acting as Britain’s first Prime Minister, Walpole dispensed a great deal of energy and money on the decoration of his family seat; Houghton Hall in Norfolk. As well as amassing an important collection of paintings, he employed many leading goldsmiths of his generation. George Wickes was amongst these and his ledger shows that he regularly received commissions between 1737 and 1745.2 It appears that this particular chandelier was never cast, however the second of Wickes' drawings survives at Houghton, in the collection of the Marquess of Cholmondeley.3
Many of the details on the chandelier are loaded with heraldic devices that connect it directly to Walpole. Crowned with an Earl’s coronet, the object’s right hand side is also decorated with an image of the Walpole family crest; ‘a Saracen’s head, ducally crowned, with a long cap turned forward and charged with a Catherine wheel’.4
1. Second Wickes Ledger, Victoria and Albert Museum, Archive of Art and Design, (1995/7/2)
2. L. Dukelskaya, J. Harris, A. Moore, T. Morel, Houghton Revisited, London 2013, p. 247
3. L. Dukelskaya, J. Harris, A. Moore, T. Morel, op. cit., London 2013, p. 247, fig. 88
4. Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armoury of England, Ireland and Wales, London 1884, p. 1069