THE furniture collection at Blair Castle is remarkable for several reasons, not least the turbulent circumstances in which the ambitious mid-18th-century furnishing programme took place. A twoweek siege by Jacobite forces had hardly come to an end in April 1746, when James, 2nd Duke of Atholl, resumed his orders for furniture from notable cabinetmakers. He was in the middle of planning new state rooms and had begun to buy furniture on a large scale in the early 1740s.
The resulting aesthetic transformation changed the castle from an antiquated fortalice into a modern and sophisticated Highland palace, involving major refitting of the interior and the employment of an impressive roll call of furniture makers, including Thomas Chippendale the Elder, George Cole (Fig 2), James Cullen, John Gordon, William Masters, John Schaw and George Sandeman. Most of their bills, dating from between 1746 and 1770, survive, which makes this period of improvement one of the best-documented schemes of patronage in 18th-century Britain.
The furniture of this and the later period of 1770–1820 is understandably eclectic, reflecting changes in fashion and the differing tastes of successive dukes. Overriding this variety, a unifying strand is apparent: the use of unusual and sometimes unique cabinet woods, mostly from resources available locally on the Atholl estates.
Denne historien er fra March 11, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 11, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
