Exceptional George II Gainsborough Armchairs in Vintage Fortuny

Pair of George II Irish walnut Gainsborough armchairs, with full conservation upholstery.

The upholstered backs have an unusual ‘reverse lumbar’ (see side view) which adds a surprising degree of comfort and counteracts the severe ‘rake’.

They have been not just painstakingly, but indulgently restored to befit their style and rarity; each patch, every stitch is a thing of beauty. Covered in early Fortuny saved from a Venetian palazzo, the seat in vintage brown silk velvet with embroidered patchwork and trim details using specially dyed yarns, the open back showing the exposed upholstery. ‘Shepherd’s crook’ arms are covered in embossed leather reclaimed from a set of Victorian chairs, stitched together with waxed linen. Standing on bold, walnut cabriole legs with square pad feet concealing leather barrel castors. Ireland, circa 1730