A suite of Dutch ivory painted carved beechwood armchairs late 18th century, redecorated

comprising a pair of bergères, a pair of armchairs and a pair of sofas, each bergère with a rectangular padded back, arms, loose cushion seat, the seat-rail centred by a patera, the fluted frame with a twisted ribbon-motif and leaves, on fluted tapering legs carved with leaves and terminating in toupie feet, with similarly carved armchairs and sofas, the sofas one with three loose cushions, the other with two balusters; upholstery of the bergères and one armchair distressed, the other armchair with different upholstery; reblocked

Pavilion Welgelgen, built for Henry Hope in Haarlem.

In country house condition. Joints of chairs sound and sturdy but the back of one armchair in dark green upholstery is slightly wobbly. Old marks, chips and scratches commensurate with age and normal usage. The piece is dirty and would benefit from a clean according to taste, There are hairline construction cracks at the joints which are normal and can be left. Evidence of old very minor worm which appears to be no longer active. The back of one of the sofas is also unstable and there is a construction crack where the side-rail joins the arms which would benefit from being filled. The side-rail of the other sofa has a break and is forced inwards and would benefit from some attention. There is also some minor worm damage to the right-side of the seat rail to the same one resulting in a minor loss.
"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."

Comparative Literature:
Reinier Baarsen, Dutch Furniture 1600-1800, Amsterdam, 1993, p. 140-141, no. 67.

This suite is in the French late Louis XVI style but has been made in the Netherlands. French seat furniture, according to Baarsen, op. cit., p. 140, states that a number of French craftsmen came from France and the South Netherlands set up in Amsterdam to supply seat furniture and upholstery. The author illustrates an armchair in the French style in the Rijksmuseum, (Inv. R.B.K. 15615) recalling the work of Georges Jacob and Jean-Baptiste-Bernard Demay.

Pavilion Wergelegen
This historical building was commissioned by Henry Hope (1730-1812), a nephew of Thomas Hope (1704-1779), founder of the prosperous Dutch bank of Hope & Co. He was a grandfather of Thomas Hope of Deepdene (1769-1831). From 1785 to 1789, he purchased land to build a great palace in neoclassical style in Haarlem. Henry Hope left Welgelegen only five years after the main house was completed. He fled to England escaping the French revolutionary forces and took most of his collection with him, transferring the property to his nephew John Williams Hope. John Williams Hope sold the villa in 1808 to Napoleon’s brother Louis Bonaparte, who has been named King of Holland. He gave the villa the current name ‘Paviljoen Welgelegen’. After the War of 1812, Welgelegen became the property of the government of the Netherlands. Princes Wilhelmina of Prussia kept the villa as a summer palace until her death in 1828, opening it as a museum to the public. The villa has lost its function as a museum and it has currently used as the seat of government for the Province of North Holland.