A set of fourteen Scottish George III painted and needlework upholstered chairs probably decorated by Lady Jane Stuart, late 18th century and again in 1818 by Robert Buchan

painted with flowers and vines, the square backs with three columnar splats within similar uprights, the oval stuffed seats on turned tapering legs, restorations

Possibly Sir John Stuart, formerly Belsches (1752-1821) whose wife Lady Jane Stuart (1753-1829), according to family tradition, painted the foliate panels;
Partially redecorated in 1818 for Sir William Forbes, 7th Bt. (1773-1828)

Lady Jane Stuart neé Leslie (1753–1829) was the eldest daughter of David, 8th Earl of Leven and 5th Earl of Melville.

Probably the suite re-decorated by Robert Buchan, Painter, Edinburgh, March 1818, '18 Drawing Room Chairs done in imitation rosewood, £3-3-0, beading ditto with white lines, £0-18-0 / 2 large couches ditto rosewood £1-1-0 and running lines on ditto £0-1-0', NLS (Acc.4796/195)

This suite has always been highly regarded and it would appear that the chairs and sofas were restored by Whytock and Reid in circa 1898. The 1818 re-painting preserved the foliate panels attributed to the 7th Baronets mother-in-law and meant that the chairs were re-freshed and perhaps matched much of the rosewood furniture he had acquired for his homes around that time.

Jane Grey Forbes Trefusis writes, 'The chairs and the sofa[s] in this room [the Library] were worked and painted in the end of 1700 by a Lady Jane, whose picture hangs on the wall'. Happy Hours in a Scottish Home, Edinburgh, 1902, p.32.

This superb set is generally in good condition although there is the sort of wear to painted decoration that one would expect. This is most notable to the top-rails of two chairs. There are losses to raised polychrome decoration and some areas of retouching. One chair with two redecorated legs and lacking foliate decoration and another chair lacking foliate decoration to one leg. Some later strengthening brackets and evidence of old worm to the undersides. The upholstery would benefit from a clean some stains may not come out, variation to colour with some notable holes. This set has undergone some restoration over its long history.
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