AFTER A DESIGN BY GEORGE SMITH, CIRCA 1830

The design for these handsome gothic chairs relates closely to a drawing published in George Smith's Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide, (pl.43), 1826. Smith, cabinet-maker of Brewer Street, described as 'Principal of the Drawing Academy' and 'Upholsterer and Furniture Draughtsman' to George IV, was an early and enthusiastic proponent of the Gothic style. His earlier publication A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1808, included a number of illustrations incorporating elements of gothic taste. That the later publication also included gothic patterns is testament to an enduring popularity for the style, and he claimed to have been employed 'by some of the most exalted characters in the country to manufacture many of the Designs' indicating that the chair pattern may already have been executed by Smith.