George III Painted Table, Attributed to George Brookshaw

A very decorative late 18th century painted table, attributable to George Brookshaw. English, circa 1795.

Why we like it

We love the decorative aspect of this table, with most of the original painted decoration surviving intact.

Attribution

The original painted decoration of floral garlands on the legs of this table is identical to that on the stands for the cabinets attributed to George Brookshaw, which were supplied to the late 18th century celebrity William Brummel for Donnington Grove between 1783–1794 and sold Bonhams, London, 19 October 2011, lot 157. The swags and paterae decoration of the frieze is identical to a pier table, also attributed to George Brookshaw and formerly owned by William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, subsequently sold Christie's New York, 11 October 2007 ($85,000). A further Brookshaw piece with the same decoration was sold Christie's New York, 24 September 2020, lot 1022.

This table is attributed to the acclaimed peintre ébéniste George Brookshaw (1751-1823) and was most likely designed to harmonize with a room's ceiling and mantelpiece. Brookshaw touted this aesthetic in a 1788 advertisement of 'a variety of the most elegant articles; consisting of pier tables, cabinets, commodes, quines [quoins], book-cases, candilabriums, girandoles, glass frames, together with a great variety of new-fashioned chimney-pieces, to correspond with his furniture, which are all made in a style peculiar to himself, in copper and marble, and painted and burnt-in, in a manner which gives them peculiar elegance.' (L. Wood, 'George Brookshaw "Peintre Ebeniste par Extraordinaire", The case of the vanishing cabinet-maker: Part 2', Apollo, June 1991, p. 384). Other Brookshaw furniture with related decoration includes a commode that may have been supplied for the Albermarle Street house of John, 3rd Baron Monson (d.1806) (ibid., 1991, fig. 4). Another closely related table was sold anonymously, Christie's, New York, 28 January 1989, lot 110.

Dimensions

Width: 80cm / 31.5”
Depth: 47cm / 18.5”
Height: 92cm / 36.25”