THE WENTWORTH CASTLE BERGERES

A pair of Regency mahogany bergere chairs.
The design of the monopodia legs is inspired by Greek and Roman antiquity. Drawings of Greek and Roman ruins executed during the Grand Tour and published by Thomas Hope in 1807, George Smith in 1808 and Charles Heathcote Tatham in 1826 fuelled the popularity of such designs in the early part of the 19th century.

Literature: Thomas Hope, Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, London 1807.
George Smith, A Collection of designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, London 1808, plates C - Drawing Room Chairs, B-Library Table.
Charles Heathcote Tatham, Etchings Representing the Best Examples of Grecian and Roman Architectural Ornament, second edition, London 1843, plates 104/116.

Provenance

Commissioned by Frederick Vernon-Wentworth (1795 - 1885) for Wentworth Castle, South Yorkshire, England, and then acquired by his granddaughter;
Frederika Charlotte Louisa Rooke (née Thellusson, 1861 - 1954) and her husband Mortimer Rooke (1854 - 1942) at The Ivy, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England;
Private collection, England.