A George II mahogany breakfront secrétaire-cabinet, circa 1750, attributed to William Hallett

the triangular pediment with egg-and-dart moulding, above a mirrored panelled door with a concealed escutcheon and enclosing adjustable shelves, framed by egg-and-dart moulding and flanked by banded upright panels, above a fitted secretaire-drawer enclosing an arrangement of pigeon holes and nine mahogany lined drawers and a further door enclosing two adjustable shelves, on a square plinth base, the top of the lower section with pencil inscription Lady Mary 1839

By repute Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire

This wonderful cabinet is in good professionally conserved condition with minor marks and scratches consistent with age and use. There are minor repairs to veneers, namely on the border surrounding the mirror, one small patch to the right return; the plinth base with minor scuffing and one repair to veneer to left back hand side, hardly noticeable.The mirror has been re-silvered. The left edge of door with a thick layer of dark polish from constant use and repolishing. There is a small repair to interior of door, to left top corner. Of great quality, design and colour.
"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."

The architectural form of this imposing yet refined secrétaire-cabinet is clearly imbued with the spirit of the architect, designer and influential tastemaker William Kent (c. 1685–1748). The quality of its design, the use of superior mahogany and the crispness of the carved detail suggest an attribution to William Hallett (c.1707-81), one of the most fashionable cabinetmakers of the second quarter of the 18th century. With premises on Great Newport Street (1732-53) and later St. Martin's Lane (after 1753), Hallett left a body of work that was sophisticated in design and of exquisite carving, establishing the use of mahogany as the prime timber in English cabinet-making, and paving the way for renowned makers such as William Vile (an apprentice of Hallett), John Cobb and Thomas Chippendale. His style was very much in line with the erudite Palladian tastes of his patrons, which included the 4th Duke of Beaufort at Badminton; Augusta, Princess of Wales; 1st Earl of Leicester at Holkham; Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Shaftesbury at St. Giles House; Sir Matthew Featherstonhaugh at Uppark; 2nd Earl of Lichfield at Ditchley Park; the 3rd Earl of Burlington and the 7th Earl of Pembroke at Wilton House.

The present secrétaire-cabinet was acquired privately from Wentworth Woodhouse in the 1950s and bears a tantalising pencil inscription to the top of the lower section of the cabinet, which reads Lady Mary 1839. There were a number of chatelaines at Wentworth Woodhouse throughout the 19^th century named Mary, however, none whose dates coincide with the inscription. The nearest chronologically is Mary Dundas (1787–1830), wife of Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam. As is often the case, the inscription generates many more questions than answers, but hopefully further research will cast more light on the provenance of the cabinet in due course.

Dating to the mid-18^th century, the cabinet was most likely supplied to Thomas, 1^st Marquess of Rockingham (d. 1750). A man of singular vision, he was responsible for creating Wentworth Woodhouse as it stands today, boasting the longest frontage of any house in the country. Its splendour was lauded by Nicolaus Pevsner, who describes the interior of Wentworth as ‘of a quite exceptional value….not easily matched anywhere in England’ (N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England, ‘Yorkshire: The West Riding’, London, 1959). A true aristocrat architect, in the vein of Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester at Holkham, he meticulously supervised the building details and sought the guidance of the influential Richard Boyle, 3^rd Earl of Burlington (d. 1753), who is so closely associated to Kent and his circle, and indeed owned a neighbouring property to Wentworth Woodhouse. Rockingham enlisted the skills of York based architect Ralph Tunnicliffe (d. 1736) to help execute his ideas and by the 1730’s the first phase of work was complete. Following Tunnicliffe’s death in 1736, Thomas Robinson (d.1777) stepped in to opine on the project, himself a disciple and connoisseur of the Palladian movement. The structural work was finished by 1750, though work on the interiors continued long after the 1^st Marquess’ death, and it is surely against this backdrop that this magnificent architectural secrétaire-cabinet was commissioned.

A closely related secrétaire-cabinet, with identical proportions and design, must have come from the same workshop and is surely by the same hand, varying from the present lot only in so far as it is embellished with additional carvings, namely pendent husk trails to the pilasters which flank the mirror and the secrétaire drawer (illustrated The Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair Handbook, 2000, pp. 120 and 121, with Jeremy Ltd; and recently advertised online by Ronald Phillips Antiques, London, as attributed to William Hallett). A similar cabinet attributed to Hallett is in a private aristocratic collection in Warwickshire.