Apter-Fredericks

Important 18th & 19th Century Antique Furniture

Hill

A Matched Pair of George III Mahogany Commodes Attributed to Henry Hill of Marlborough
A Matching Pair of George III Mahogany Commodes by Henry Hill of Marlborough
A Pair of Regency Period Two Tier Lustres Attributed to Blades
A Superb Pembroke Table by Henry Hill
A George III Sycamore, Rosewood & Marquetry Commode
A Superb Pair Of Glass Lustres
A Superb Pair Of Glass Lustres
A Highly Important Georgian Giltwood Mirror Designed By Matthias Lock and Signed by the Carver James Hill

HENRY HILL

Henry Hill established himself in Marlborough, a Wiltshire town midway between London and fashionable Bath. From about 1740 until his death in 1778, he developed a large company which, in addition to cabinet-making, included clock making, coach making, auctioneering and insurance. His client list was large and included many members of the aristocracy.

A Matching Pair of George III Mahogany Commodes by Henry Hill of Marlborough

A Matching Pair of George III Mahogany Commodes by Henry Hill of Marlborough

Height: 33 ¼" 84.5cm & 34 ½" 87cm
Width: 48" 122cm & 50" 127cm
Depth: 25" 63.5cm & 24" 61cm

In the French taste, with serpentine top above a conforming case, one with a brushing slide above three drawers and a scalloped waved apron, the other with a writing slide to the top drawer. The angles with ormolu foliate chutes trailing to scrolling sabots.

English, Circa 1770

These elegant commodes are designed in the George III 'picturesque' fashion, and evolved from 'French Commode Table' patterns in Thomas Chippendale's The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director, 1754 (pls. XLIII and XLV). They have distinct stylistic and constructional features that appear in a group of commodes that are among both the documented and attributed work of Henry Hill of Marlborough, Wiltshire, who was active as a cabinet-maker from circa 1740 until his death in 1778. The fine, book matched veneers, distinctive scalloped apron and the continuous ormolu mounts to the side angles appear on several commodes in the Lady Lever Art Gallery attributed to Hill and discussed by L. Wood in Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, no. 4, pp. 64-73. Some, including the present commodes, also share identical constructional features such as the use of pine bottomed drawers as well as the more unusual continuation of the cock-beading on the drawer sides to cover the dovetails (op. cit., p. 66, fig. VI).

Though Hill's furniture commissions were largely from Wiltshire families, they were among some of the most sophisticated patrons of the era. Payments amounting to £227.10s.3d from the 9th Duke of Somerset in 1770-71 could have included the marquetry commode supplied for Maiden Bradley (bid, p. 71, fig. 55) as well as a practically identical example attributed to Hill and sold by the 9th Duke's descendents at Christie's, London, 28 November, lot 120. Paul Methuen of Corsham Court was another patron whose purchases from 1764 and 1771 included 2 Mahogany French Commodes banded with Rose Wood and wrought brass Corners at £13 13s.' (L. Wood, "Furniture for Lord Delaval,", Furniture History, 1993, p. 206). The most documented commissions were for Sir John, later Lord Delaval, who was also a patron of the royal cabinet-maker John Cobb. Delaval was unique in that his commissions were for his London house. Correspondence between Hill and Delaval includes three separate proposals, which outline specific options for commodes and most likely had design sketches. Further correspondence and banking records show that two proposals resulted in specific commissions for two commodes as well as two wardrobes delivered in November and December 1776 which have as yet to be identified (ibid, pp.203-4).