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Thomas Chippendale

Pinch

Pinch

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Hello Chaps.

Mrs P and me took a day out yesterday and we visited Wilton House near Salisbury in Wiltshire. I must also say, we popped in to see Rob (Woodbloke) on route and from a fellow woodworker, Rob's workshop is a place of magical talents and inspiration. As is another experience in Wilton House...

I love strolling around stately homes mainly because of the histroy and knowing many people through the past centuries have walked the very same hallways, rooms etc... I also enjoy looking at the furniture and paintings - goes without saying. Just the whole ambiance sorts me out nicely. 8-)

Anyway, we're approaching the end of our tour through the house and to be honest, I wasn't that taken back by the furniture - nothing attracted me in the way of wanting to touch it and breathe it in. Until we walked into the Smoking Room. As I walked in I was greeted by a stunningly beautiful majestic bookcase. It was (is) staggering! It just completely did it for me. I was captured. In awe of such a beauty! I said to Mrs P as I carressed this awe with affection... "Oh how I would love to make something like this!" I must have been in that room for ages. Mrs P had to pull me away.

We then walked the gardens and chilled out for a bit taking in the scenery and beautiful grounds. After which, we drove home, stopping for a bit of KFC on the way - lovely jubbly!

That evening, I started to Google 'Thomas Chippendale' with the hope of finding out where some of his work was, just so I could go and see it one day - wherever. This is when I realised, the breakfront bookcase at Wilton House was made by Thomas Chippendale. It was commissioned by Henry, the 10th Earl of Pembroke at Wilton House and the work was designed and made for the actual room, which is where the bookcase has lived ever since it was delivered 250+ years ago. Awesome! I didn't know what to say.

Here it is - beautiful.
1_zpsej43ricv.jpg


:obscene-drinkingcheers:
 
Fantastic piece, I remember being impressed when I saw it some years ago.
Must be nice to have unlimited budgets for commissioning such work, but perhaps even better to have made it.

PS. To my eye, the cornice would be better with a tad less space in the middle....
 
Andyp":bawrrv5o said:
What's with the curved bit at the bottom? Is it also used as a writing desk?
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It's so that no-one can see the intern :eusa-whistle:
 
Cor yes, imagine receiving a commission to design and make something like that. I've only just learnt that TC made a complete suite for the Smoking Room. I remember other pieces in there and you can tell it's all made by the same maker, I just didn't know it was TC. If I was extrememly extrememly overwhelmingly fortunate to design and make something like this, I would estimate the cost to be around 100k in today's money.

I can see why Thomas Chppendale was the designer & maker of his time. He almost reinvented furniture with his designs - like this breakfront bookcase. No one had designed anything like this before. Times were different back then as well... and he was clearly in with the very wealthy of the time. Imagine this work being delivered from London to Wiltshire around 1760 - horse and cart, bumpy roads, etc etc.

I would imagine the curved breakfront is more of a design feature than practical use, although, it could be used as a quick reference place after lifting a book from a shelf. If the book was of interest, one could then go and sit more comfortably at the desk. I don't think I would read anything in that room... I would just sit there in awe of the presence.... Although I might whisper to myself... "There's plenty of veneer in ere."
 
There was a very good programme about Chippendale about 6-12 months ago on BBC4. Unfortunately, it's not currently available on BBC iPlayer although, if you search iPlayer for Chippendale, you can watch a clip from the trailer. Our Fine Arts Society had a talk about Chippendale in November last year; really interesting. In the event, despite having wealthy patrons, he died in poverty. His patrons were very keen to lay hands on the furniture, designed by him but made in his workshop(s) in St Martin's Lane in London, but not so good at paying for it.
 
MartinF":2mzeshkt said:
There was a very good programme about Chippendale about 6-12 months ago on BBC4. .....
Click to expand...

It's available on YouTube.
 
MartinF":3h02dsrg said:
...designed by him but made in his workshop(s) in St Martin's Lane in London...
Click to expand...
His workshop, now long since disappeared was just behind St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Although he designed the stuff, nobody has actually found a piece that TC made, if ever. Whoever does find one can name the sum on a blank cheque - Rob
 
How would you know anyway?
I understand, because of his Director, there's so much "Chippendale" style stuff around, the only way of any certainty is the paper trail from the original "commission" from the wealthy client to it still residing in the Stately House.

Rod
 
Rod":uyytzl4r said:
How would you know anyway?
I understand, because of his Director, there's so much "Chippendale" style stuff around, the only way of any certainty is the paper trail from the original "commission" from the wealthy client to it still residing in the Stately House.

Rod
Click to expand...
An individual maker's mark left on the piece is the only way of proving the provenance. Stourhead near us is jammed packed with TC's stuff that was designed for the house and it can all be traced directly back to his workshop. Even after a few centuries, it's still stunning but the individual makers aren't known - Rob
 
TC employed 60 people and never used makers marks.
It is very likely he never actually made much anyway as he was far too busy running things. He used to supply complete furnishings and even did funerals.
Because of the carvings and complex details he used mainly solid woods, very little was veneered.

Rod
 
Rod":30s4o3ve said:
TC employed 60 people and never used makers marks.
It is very likely he never actually made much anyway as he was far too busy running things.

Rod
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Before he came to London to make his fortune, I believe he was a jobbing country carpenter, so at some point he did make stuff, but yes, nothing once he'd set up his business and got going - Rob
 
Interesting knowledge chaps.

I've been reading bits about him in the last few days and I would have thought he was more involved in the designing instead of the making. It's a shame the old workshops have long gone.

It's estimated that 600 pieces came out of TC's workshop - not sure over what time. I know he and TC junior were at St Martin's Lane for almost 60 years - 1754-1813, until TC junior was evicted after losing the firm through the bankruptcy courts.

TC senior must have been a switched on chap. He clearly had bounds of artistic talent, but he must have had a creative/charismatic personality as well.
 
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