A Pair of George III Giltwood Mirrors Attributed to John Linnell, Circa 1760

Sir John and Lady Smith, at Shottesbrooke Park, Berkshire;

Sotheby’s London, 9 July 2019, lot 27;

Rolleston, London.

Inventory of the Property of Oswald A. Smith at 73 Eaton Square, 1890, possibly 'Middle Drawing Room / 2 pier glasses in gold frame[s]'.

Inventory of the property of Guy O. Smith at 33 Grosvenor Street, 1904, possibly 'Front Drawing Room / Two pier glasses in gilt frames'.

The Victoria & Albert Museum 'Furniture History', 1969 Vol. V. fig 46. H. Hayward.

This pair of beautifully carved giltwood pier mirrors epitomises the whimsical style of the English rococo as seen through the eyes of John Linnell (1729–96), one of the most creative English eighteenth-century carvers and designers. The form of the present mirrors, with the use of interlocking foliate carved C-scrolls, floral garlands and slender columnar uprights, derives from several Linnell designs from 1755 to 1760 identifiable in his surviving manuscript drawings preserved in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (see E. 3715-1911, E. 205-1929, E. 226-1929)1. The floral basket, so often employed as an ornate cresting, has in this instance been incorporated to the apron. The aforementioned drawings are reproduced in Hayward, H. and Kirkham, P., William and John Linnell, London, 1980, p. 96, figs. 184 and 186.

John Linnell (1729 - 1796) and his father William (circa 1703 - 1763) were amongst the leading designers and craftsmen of furniture in the second half of the eighteenth century. They produced works of the highest quality and their reputation matched that of respected contemporaries such as Thomas Chippendale, John Cobb, John Mayhew and William Ince. After training at the St Martin’s Lane Academy for engravers, architects and woodworkers, founded by William Hogarth, John joined his father’s workshop in 1750. He was an extremely talented draftsman, his designs reveal a mastery of the Rococo style which was highly fashionable in London. As he had such a talent for drawing John had much more conviction of style than many. This, in combination with the skill and delicacy of the carvers and engravers in his employ meant that Linnell’s furniture was amongst the most sought after of the day. By the time they moved to their new showrooms in Berkeley Square, in 1754, they already had undertaken the Badminton commission for the Duke of Beaufort; later working for the Dukes of Northumberland and Argyll amongst many others.

These mirrors belonged to St John and Lady Smith, and were hung at Shottesbrooke Park, their Tudor country house in Berkshire. Sir John Smith (1923-2007) was a director at Coutts and served as MP for the Cities of London and Westminster from 1965 to 1970. He and his wife Lady Christian Smith née Carnegy were the founders of the prominent conservation charity Landmark Trust, which campaigns to preserve historic buildings, and by Sir Smith's death in 2007 had saved over 200 buildings in Britain and worldwide.