A George III painted armchair in the manner of John Linnell circa 1770

Possibly supplied to Catherine Chetwynd (d. 1785), daughter of the 2nd Viscount Chetwynd and heiress of Ingestre Hall, or to her son John Chetwynd Talbot, 1st Earl Tablot (1749-1793), and by descent at Ingestre Hall.
Thence by descent to the Earls of Shrewsbury, until at least 1957.
Christie's New York, April 8, 2004, lot 255

M. Jourdain and F. Rose, English Furniture, The Georgian Period (1750-1830), London, 1953, p. 61, fig. 14.
G. Nares, 'Ingestre Hall, Staffordshire- III,' Country Life, 31 October 1957, p. 925, fig. 4 (two chairs illustrated in situ in the Long Drawing-Room).

Paint refreshed; wear to paint especially to handholds. Nicks, dents, and abrasions to carving. Old wood worm damage, not extensive and mainly to underside. Upholstery later and in good condition. Sturdy.
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.

This chair was originally part of a larger suite supplied to the Hon. John Chetwynd Talbot for Ingestre Hall, Staffordshire in the 1770s. Two of this set are illustrated in the Country Life article of 1957 (see fig. 1) Having succeeded as 3^rd Baron Tablot of Hensol he was then created Viscount Ingestre and Earl Talbot in 1784.  He is found in Matthew Boulton’s records as having purchased vases from him in 1773 (N. Goodison, Ormolu: The Work of Matthew Boulton, London, 1974k, p. 237).  A chair of this model which was stripped of its decoration sold at Christie’s, London, February 11, 1999, lot 110.

This chair with it overtly neoclassical decoration and structure is very similar to the design of a chair circa 1768-70 by John Linnell. (H. Hayward and P. Kirkham, William and John Linnell, Eighteenth Century London Furniture Makers, vol, II, p. 43, fig. 83)  Specific neoclassical decorations of these chairs include the crossed cornucopia to the center of the seat rail which is similar to the crossed palms executed in marquetry by Linnell, particularly on a library table he supplied to Robert Child for Osterley Park, circa 1768. (Ibid, p. 148, fig. 288).