A GEORGE III GILTWOOD BERGÈRE

Francois Hervé, Parisian cabinet maker and chairmaker (fl. 1781-96), is known to have worked for the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Devonshire and Earl Spencer. Hervé was in business at 32 Johns Street, off Tottenham Court Road, London from 1781 until at least 1791, thereafter being based at 64 John Street until 1796.
The present chair is inscribed '875 Devonshire' and is likely to have been part of the furnishings at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire or Devonshire House, London. It is likely that this bergère was an addition to one of the houses made by a provincial craftsman inspired by Hervé’s designs. Hervé’s particular personal leitmotif was the stepped seat rail, seen on the present chair and others by Hervé sold from Chatsworth; Christie’s, London, 23 June 1983, lots 58-62. Indeed, it is at Chatsworth that Hervé's style is best represented by documented pieces. When the 5th Duke came of age in 1769, he embarked on an extensive improvements to Chatsworth. This work continued following his marriage to Georgiana Spencer, daughter of the 1st Earl Spencer. As leaders of fashion and members of the Prince of Wales’ Francophile circle it is no surprise that their private apartments on the first floor, were remodeled in the most up-to-date of contemporary Anglo-French taste. In all, Hervé supplied over two hundred chairs for both Chatsworth and Devonshire House, and these ranged from the most simple of caned chairs to those with refined ornamental carving. For further discussion of the commissions at Chatsworth see I. Hall, ‘A Neoclassical Episode at Chatsworth’, The Burlington Magazine, June 1980. An armchair from one of these suites, and similar to the present lot, is illustrated in F. Collard, Regency Furniture, London, 1985, p. 30