George Bullock Gothic chair, circa 1817

Recently discovered on an online auction the oak chair in the centre bears close comparison with two designs by George Bullock. The design on the left is from the Wilkinson Tracings (Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery). That on the right is from Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, September 1817, p.183, plate 14.

Four other related side chairs, below, attributed to George Bullock’s workshop, are now divided between the Art Gallery of South Australia and a European private collection (H.Blairman & Sons, Furniture and Works of Art (1995), no.7).

The pair of laburnum chairs above (Blairman 2013) are by an unidentified cabinet maker using Ackermann’s as a design source. They do not adhere that closely to the design.

The seat is recessed to accommodate the squab cushion. Traces of a previous owners ill judged application of white paint – this will be removed.

It is interesting to note that the Wilkinson Tracing drawing does not correspond exactly with that in Ackermann’s. The current chair combines elements from both and has its own too.