A set of English gilt bronze, painted, wrought and cast iron railings, possibly executed by Jean Montigny, circa 1720, modified and extended in the 1740s

the central section centring interlaced C's and the Arms of the Garter suspended from a bearded gilt bronze mask flanked by acanthus scrolls and floral swags, with two flanking sections with spiked tops interspersed with urns above gilt bronze  lion's masks

Most probably commissioned by James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, (1673 - 1744) for Cannons, Edgware and possibly executed by Jean Montigny (fl. 1721 - 1725);
Sold Cannons House Sale, 16 June 1747;
Purportedly acquired by Isaac Ware for Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, (1694 - 1773) for Chesterfield House, London, where modified;
Thence by descent at Chesterfield House;
Acquired in situ with the house by Charles Magniac (1827 - 1891);
Acquired on his death in situ by Sir Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baron Burton (1837-1909);
Thence by descent until sold in situ to Henry George Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, (1882 - 1947) in 1922;
Moved to Harewood House, Yorkshire by the 6th Earl upon the demolition of Chesterfield House in 1937;
Thence by descent with the Earl's of Harewood until sold, Harewood House, Christie's, 3 October 1988, lot 104.

Avray Tipping, Chesterfield House, Mayfair I, A Residence of Viscount Lascelles, Country Life, February 25 1922, pl. 1.
C. H. Collins Baker and Muriel I. Baker, The Life and Circumstances of James Brydges, First Duke of Chandos, Patron of the Liberal Arts, Oxford University Press in co-operation with the Huntington Library, 1949.
G. Jackson-Stops, ‘English Baroque Ironwork-II’, Country Life, 4 February 1971.
David Pearce, London’s Mansions: The Palatial Houses of the Nobility, London, 1986, p. 72, pl.43.
Christopher Simon Sykes, Private Houses: Life in the Great London Houses, London, 1986, p. 119.
Alan Rubin and John Harris, Lord Chesterfield’s Railings, Pelham Galleries, London, 1989.

RELATED LITERATURE
Daniel Defoe, A Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain, 1725, pp. Letter 6, Part 1: Middlesex, Hertford and Buckinghamshire.
John Harris, English Decorative Iron Work 1610 – 1836, London, 1960.
Susan Jenkins, Portrait of a Patron: The Patronage and Collecting of James Brydges, 1^st Duke of Chandos (1674-1744), Ashgate, 2007.
Edwin Beresford Chancellor, The Private Palaces of London: Past and Present (1908), Kessinger, 2009.

An ornate and superbly cast set of railings in excellent restored condition. The stanchions to the sides of the flanking railings have been adapted to fit their current position but are contemporary to the original manufacture. All the gilt elements have been re-gilt and treated to with stand weather in keeping with their intended use. There have been restorations to the iron railings securing them from former areas of rust. Many of the unseen smaller screws are later and were added during the railings' restoration in the early 1990s. Please contact the department with any further questions, particularly regarding re-sizing the railings to fit a specific area.
"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."

Execution

The composition of the railings is enriched by the human and lion masks in the upper section, about which the gilt scrolling acanthus and hanging floral swags provide a sense of movement and lightness that belies their medium. The swirling effect around the central interlocking C’s only emphasises the initial and the Arms of the Garter that anchor the composition.

As in so many areas of the arts, English iron-work of this period is indebted to the artistry and ingenuity of Huguenot craftsmen who sought refuge in Britain under William of Orange. The earliest English publication related to iron work was produced by the Frenchman Jean Tijou (d. 1712) in A new Booke of Drawings 1693 and probably influenced the inclusion of the Nouveau Livre de Serrurerie in his compatriot’s Oeuvre de Sieur D. Marot 1703. Although Tijou’s elaborative and decorative designs bear a strong similarity to the current lot, it is more likely that they can be attributed to his close associate Jean Montigny (fl. 1721 - 1725) who received two payments from the Duke of Chandos in the early 1720s. (G. Jackson-Stops, op. cit., p. 266 and fig. 9)

Little, it seems, is known about Montigny and what we do know comes predominantly from day-books from his commissions. One of Montigny’s most famous commissions for William Cavendish, 3^rd Duke of Devonshire, at Devonshire House, London is an interesting comparable to the present lot. Montigny designed the gates that would adorn the front of the Duke’s London mansion. Unlike the house itself, the gates still exist intact having been re-fitted for purpose along Green Park, London. On inspection of the Devonshire House gates it is clear that they bear strikingly similar elements to the present lot. The gilt bronze mask mounts and swirling foliage which can be seen to the upper section of the gates mirrors the dense decoration to the central panel of the railings. More research needs to be undertaken into this great French craftsmen and the present lot will stand as testament to his extraordinary skill.

The portico, railings and marble staircase supplied to the Duke of Chandos were all purchased from the Cannons auction. Of the numerous entries in the 1747 sale catalogue describing “Fine wrought Iron Gates” it is difficult to distinguish which refers to the current lot, at is unclear where they were originally situated at Cannons. The most likely entries describe fine iron work “ornamented with scrolls and leaves”, or simply “scroll work”. However, in the original day books from the Cannons commission, one particular entry which notes the extensive iron works in the Pleasure Garden could easily relate to the present lot. (fig. 4)

The central staircase balustrade from Chesterfield House, now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York (65.164) bears strikingly similar leaf cast decoration and interlaced Cs to the present railings. Although it has been very hard to prove the definite movement of the railings from Cannons to Chesterfield House, H. Avray Tipping in a 1922 Country Life article wrote that 'The acquisition of its marble and ironwork [from Cannons] called for a revision of plan. They took so much space themselves and called for so much spaciousness in other parts to keep them in countenance that extension was necessary, and the cost of this so impresses itself on Chesterfield’s mind that from this date onwards his correspondents constantly hear that he is ruining himself' (H. Avray Tipping, op. cit. pl. 1). John Harris and Alan Rubin have furthered this study by close inspection of the present lot, adding that the iron balustrade was certainly made for Chesterfield House in the 1740s in the style of the newly acquired railings. What is clear is that the Earl prized his iron work, railings and staircase so highly that he was willing to redesign the house in its entirety to accommodate them. Starkie Gardner the acclaimed historian of English Ironwork has further noted that in relation to the staircase ‘the magnificent railings in the forecourt [of Chesterfield House] are by the same hand and of the same period, and no doubt of the same provenance’. (C. H. Collins Baker, James Brydges, op. cit. p. 440)

In their 1989 article on the subject Alan Rubin and John Harris go on to prove beyond doubt that the railings were adapted following their move to Chesterfield House in the 1740s - stating that on stylistic grounds alone there were two stages of execution - the first relating very closely to Daniel Marot’s designs for different Ballecons published in Ouevres du Sr. Marot in 1703, including the scrolling foliage, the ornamental stanchions and the interlaced Cs which can all be seen in Marot’s designs and most likely executed by Jean Montigny. (see fig. 2), the second being the addition of the  Garter, rococo lambrequins and the wrought iron laurel garland, celebrating the 4^th Earls installation to the Order of the Garter. These have all been blended harmoniously into the original design. During the restorations undertaken in the 1980s following the re-discovery at Harewood it became clear through the methods of gilding and the materials used that the railings were executed to the highest order with no expense spared. The principal mounts from both periods of execution are all bronze rather than cast-iron allowing the bronziers to exquisitely chase the masks and Garter decoration.

Iron work in Britain

The beginning of the 18^th century was marked by the numerous publications of architectural design folios and treatises. The first and still perhaps most famous is Colin Campbell’s Vitruvius Britannicus written from 1715 – 1825. The appearance of iron-work in these volumes was at first ephemeral; Campbell’s sole reference to the art-form was an illustration of the gates at Wilton House. However, over the course of the first half of the century and especially after Tijou and Montigny’s celebrated work at Cannons and Chatsworth, iron work began to become a fixture of architectural literature. The first publication dedicated exclusively to iron work was J Jones’ 1756 monograph A New Book of Iron Work, however, it was largely copied from existing texts and did not posit many new designs. That same year Isaac Ware published his A Complete Body of Architecture in which two plates are given over to iron-work, one for railings the other for railings and a gate. It was Ware who confirmed the architectural importance of iron-work and so it is of little surprise that it formed such a large part of his masterpiece – Chesterfield House. Ware also used iron-work on other famous commissions including Horse Guards Parade whilst he was apprenticed as the Office of Works’ draughtsman to John Vardy. Noting that ‘Cast Iron is very serviceable to the builder and a vast expense is saved in many cases by using it; in rails and balusters it makes a rich and massy appearance’.

Cannons

Cannons, built by Jame Brydges, 1^st Duke of Chandos, between 1713 – 1724 was both a monument to the prevailing taste for elaborate baroque architecture as well as a progenitor for the development of Palladianism in England. An explanation for this could be Brydges’ bullish attitude and determined vision to build a house suited to his extraordinary artistic patronage which exasperated his architects and led to their frequent replacement. William Talman (1650 – 1719), John James (1673 – 1746), Sir John Vanbrugh (1664 – 1726), James Gibbs (1682 – 1754) and finally John Price and Edward Shepherd all contributed and were subsequently dismissed by the ‘Apollo of the Arts’, as Brydges became known leading to an amalgamation of exquisite designs. The house was all but completed by 1720 and instantly became a London landmark. Such was the fame of the house that the Duke had to introduce crowd control measures to stem the flow of visitors. Daniel Defoe’s 1725 travelogue best sums up the excitement felt by the public and the grandeur of the setting ‘This palace is so beautiful in its situation, so lofty, so majestick the appearance of it, that a pen can but ill describe it... 'tis only fit to be talk'd of upon the very spot... The whole structure is built with such a Profusion of Expense and finished with such a Brightness of Fancy and Delicacy of Judgment’ (Daniel Defoe op. cit. 1725). The cast iron railings surrounding the park and house were no exception to this ‘profusion of expense’ - indeed, one contemporary viewer noted how ‘incredible the iron work is around this noble palace’ (Susan Jenkins, op. cit., p. 81).

The Duke lost a large part of his fortune in the South Sea Bubble. Coupled with the extraordinary expenditure on Cannons he had practically bankrupted himself and his family by his death in 1744. To cope with the burden of such debt the Duke’s son Henry Brydges, 2^nd Duke of Chandos was forced to auction the house and its contents in a twelve day ‘demolition’ sale in 1747. The art works, fittings and building materials were distributed across England and Europe. It was at this time that the second and longest stage of provenance of these most-grand railings commenced.

Chesterfield House

Built by Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773), Chesterfield House like Cannons was a vast London mansion, designed and executed by Isaac Ware (1704 – 1766). Ware, a protegée and adopted son of Lord Burlington, excelled as a draughtsman and soon became one of the leading architects of Britain, having been trained in the Palladian style, following an Italian Grand Tour, Ware became dissatisfied with the accepted interpretation of Palladio’s Quattro Libri dell'Architettura and re-translated the text in 1738. His translation soon became the accepted manifesto of English Palladian design: The architectural historian Howard Colvin has stated that it was the prime source of Palladio’s designs well into the 20^th century. Having returned to England, Ware developed his own style and used Chesterfield House to demonstrate his extraordinary talent. The demolition sale of Cannons was perfectly timed to supply the young architect with some of the necessary components for his new project.

Just as the Duke of Chandos required the very best, so too did the Earl of Chesterfield. The interlaced C’s of the Cannons railings were evidently appropriate for their new owner and the ducal coronet simply needed to be replaced with the garter arms of the Earl of Chesterfield. Both the Duke of Chandos and the Earl of Chesterfield shared a Francophile taste. Indeed, the present lot was installed at Chesterfield House directly facing a cour d’honneur reminiscent of Parisian hôtels particuliers. The house remained in the Chesterfield family for the next 130 years - the railings acting as the viewer’s first indication of the taste and grandeur of the 4th Earl.

In 1869 facing demolition, Chesterfield House went through various stages of ownership. It was sold by Henry Edwyn Chandos Scudamore-Stanhope, 9th Earl of Chesterfield (1821 –1887) to Charles Magniac (1827 –1891), a liberal politician and financier, whose brief tenure at Chesterfield house was marked by the sale of much of its garden and the building of new housing to the front of the house along Curzon Street. In 1891, following Magniac’s death, the house and railings were bought by Sir Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baron Burton (1837-1909), scion of the Bass brewing dynasty and liberal MP for Staffordshire. Unfortunately Bass died suddenly in 1909 leaving no heir. His wife, the Dowager Lady Burton, continued to live at Chesterfield until her death in 1922, when the house and railings were bought by its last owner Henry George Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, son-in-law of King George V and Queen Mary.

Chesterfield House was the primary seat of the young Earl. The King and Queen are recorded as visiting their son-in-law and daughter at the house in 1923 upon the birth of their first son George Henry Hubert Lascelles, later 7th Earl of Harewood (1923 – 2011). However, in 1929 the 6^th Earl and his family moved to the main family seat at Harewood, Yorkshire. Following this, Chesterfield House began its slow decline and by 1937 was scheduled for demolition. Interestingly, at the 1937 auction of the contents of Chesterfield House there is no mention of the railings. It is clear that the 6^th Earl had a particular fondness for this magnificent metal work and had it transported to his ancient and spectacular family seat at Harewood. It is possible to suppose that the Earl had envisaged adapting the present lot for purpose at his Yorkshire seat. However, the onset of The Second World War and his death in 1947 meant that this never occurred. The present lot were kept in store for almost fifty years until re-discovered and offered at auction in 1988 for the last time until now.

Sotheby's would like to thank Sharon Graham for helping research this lot.