The mysterious Mr Cuenot: Tessa Murdoch presents new evidence about the identity of the carver who provided ornament and furniture for the 9th Duke and Duchess of Norfolk's London house, unveiled to rapturous acclaim in 1756

Apollo, June, 2006 by Tessa Murdoch

[FIGURES 4-7 OMITTED]

In the Great Room in 1755 the inventory listed '3 Corner Sienna Marble Slabs on carv'd & gilt frames--2 window Cornishes Carv'd and gilt'. To match the monkey doorways, Cuenot supplied a table with 'ornament cut through 3 heads, festoons of Drapery, & a Trophy with festoons of flowers & a Rail between the legs with a Monkey on it'. (19) If this table survives at Arundel, the monkey has long since disappeared. The tables now in the Picture Gallery at Arundel, on either side of the door into the drawing room, are traditionally described as from the Great Drawing Room at Norfolk House (Fig. 11). But their Sicilian jasper tops were supplied by the architect James Paine in 1768 and the carved breakfront frames were probably made to Paine's design to support the new tops at this date, six years after Cuenot's death, by an unidentified craftsman. The carving is stylistically much more robust than surviving documented examples supplied by Cuenot. (20) They came to Arundel Castle from Worksop in 1838 and can be identified with the '2 Jaspar marble slabs on rich carved Frames' in the Crimson Damask Drawing Room at Worksop in 1777. (21)

[FIGURE 11 OMITTED]

The Chinese Looking Glass (Fig. 9) in the York Bedroom at Arundel Castle was made as an overmantel glass for Norfolk House. It can be identified with the 'Chimney Trumo Glass Frame' in the Duchess's Dressing Room, for which Cuenot charged 8 [pounds sterling] 14. Three panels of looking glass are back-painted with Chinese pastoral scenes with cattle, sheep and pigs that reminded the Duchess of her farm at Worksop. The glass was an appropriate addition to the 'intirely Chinese' interior with its painted 'Sattin or Taffity' hangings 'in the most Beautiful India Pattern you can Imagine, Curtains & Chairs the same',. (22) Even the brass fender and sconces were described as Chinese. (23)

[FIGURE 9 OMITTED]

Brass furniture

In the drawing room at Arundel are the serving table (Fig. 8) and two matching pier tables of brass (Fig. 9) with black Derbyshire marble tops that were installed in the dining room on the ground floor of Norfolk House in February 1756. (24) They were described in the 1777 inventory on the death of the 9th Duke of Norfolk as '3 large Dove Coloured Marble Slabs on Solid Brass Frames highly Chased and Leather covers' and were accompanied by a 'Large Brass Oval Cistern Highly Chased & Leather covers'. (25) At Arundel these remarkable tables have been reassembled with their matching giltwood pier glasses, which are carved with vines--appropriate symbolism for a dining room. (26) These were listed in the 1777 inventory as '2 large Pier Glasses in Glass Bordered Frames with 4 Girondoles for 2 lights each Bottom plate 3 foot 9; Middle plate 3 ft 10; Top plate 2 ft'. The precise sizes of mirror glass were recorded, as such glass was expensive and had to be specially imported from France. In 1777 the Dining Room was furnished with a glass above the chimney with 'bordered frame' 5 ft 6 long 2 ft 1 high. There were 6 double branches on the picture frames to serve as lights for the room and to illuminate the pictures.