Carlton Hobbs Announces Participation at Masterpiece London June 29-July 5th, 2011

NEW YORK, NY, June 08, 2011 (Press-News.org) Carlton Hobbs, the leading specialist in museum quality 17th-19th century British and Continental furniture and decorative arts, has announced that the company will be exhibiting again at the Masterpiece Fair in London this month. "We were delighted with our results from the show in its inaugural year of 2010 and are very excited to present a number of highly important pieces at this year's event," said Stefanie Rinza, the company's managing director.

Among the highlights are a Monumental and Highly Important George III Breakfront Library Bookcase Attributed to William Vile and John Cobb, English, Circa 1765. Vile and Cobb supplied furniture to a number of Royal residences and the bookcase, which was one of a pair together with its companion formerly in Sefton Lodge, Cambridgeshire, was certainly designed for one of the great library interiors of Georgian England. The classical elegance of this piece, ornamented with Greek-key banding and an open-pedimented entablature atop scrolled brackets, reflects the Palladian architecture popular at that time.

A further item of interest is the Extremely Rare Set of Twelve Carved Walnut Chinese Chairs for the Export Market. They are closely modeled on English Queen Anne prototypes and are comparable to examples in Hatfield House, Hertfordshire; the Leverhume collection in the Lady Lever Art Gallery; and the Jon Gerstenfeld collection, Washington DC. An existing contract dated 1741 for Danish supercargo Christen Lintrup, suggests that this set of chairs may have been part of his original commission, along with a closely related bureau cabinet now in the Kunsindustemuseet, Copenhagen.

The Northumberland Mirrors are one of the earliest masterpieces of the English Rococo. Sold by the Duke of Northumberland in 1985, Graham Child noted in his book World Mirrors 1650-1900 that they have a history of being present in three of the Ducal residences, "formerly at a house called Stanwick Park... The pair is also illustrated in the Duke of Northumberland's archives as being in the collection at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, and were recently removed from Syon House, Middlesex." The mirrors employ the language of the rococo in the form of rocaille, floral and shell-like forms, and c-scrolls, yet retain a baroque sense of massivity and balance.

The exterior of our booth will be decorated with elevations from a boiserie formerly from the Schloß Herblingen, an extraordinary late 17th Century survival from an important Swiss castle near Schaffhausen. It consists of a scheme of faux niches in which are placed full-length figures in grisaille, representing such allegories as the Seasons, Continents and Virtues. The boiserie is further enhanced by curious and inventive painted panels in the manner of Arcimboldo's composite faces on the original connecting doors.

According to Stefanie Rinza, a separate exhibition of recent acquisitions will be on view at Carlton Hobbs' London gallery, at 16 Bloomfield Terrace, off of Pimlico Road. "The Masterpiece fair is within a short walking distance from our gallery and we thought we would mount a special exhibit of recent acquisitions to coincide with the show."

About Carlton Hobbs LLC:

Carlton Hobbs is a noted dealer in rare antique furniture and historic objects. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in New York, in the former Vanderbilt Mansion at 60 East 93rd Street, the firm acquires, researches and sells antiques to museums and discerning clients throughout the world.

Additional information about Carlton Hobbs LLC and its pieces can be found on the company website http://www.carltonhobbs.com and the blog at http://www.carltonhobbs.net

Some of the world's leading museums and private collections now house Carlton Hobbs' pieces including, amongst others

The Musee du Louvre, The John Paul Getty Museum, The Rijksmuseum, The National Gallery of Australia, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Musee des Beaux Arts, Dijon, The Bowes Museum, Paxton House, The National Gallery of Greece, etc

Carlton Hobbs is located at 60 East 93rd Street, between Madison and Park Avenues in New York. Opening hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6:00 pm. For more information, please call 212-423-9000 or visit http://www.carltonhobbs.com

Carlton Hobbs' London Gallery is located at 16 Bloomfield Terrace, off Pimlico Road. For more information, please call 212-423-9000 or +44 (0)207 259 1780.

For further questions please contact:
Marilyn White
Marilyn White Public Relations
MWhitePR@aol.com
T: 973-783-3649