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

I would like to thank the Getty Grant Program for a Curatorial Research Grant, 2002, which enabled me to progress my research on British carvers and gilders, 1660-1760. I would also like to thank Dr John Martin Robinson, Librarian, and Sara Rodgers, Archivist, at Arundel Castle; and in particular my V&A colleague Christine Powell, Conservation Gilder, for examining the furniture and frames with me at Arundel Castle, for contributing technical information to the captions and for her comments on the text. I am grateful to my colleagues Richard Edgcumbe, Greg Sullivan, Hilary Young and Lucy Wood for their advice. I would also like to thank Orlando Rock, Furniture Department, Christie's, London, for permitting me to quote his exciting discovery at Arundel Castle, Alan Rubin of the Pelham Galleries and Jacob Simon, National Portrait Gallery, London, for his guidance on Cuenot and picture frames.

(1) For a recent account of Mary Blount, Duchess of Norfolk, see Rosemary Baird, Mistress of the House: Great Ladies and Grand Homes, 1670-1830, London, 2003, pp 118-38.

(2) Michael Snodin (ed.), Rococo: Art and Design in Hogarth's Lingland, exh. cat, V&A, London, 1984, no. A19, p. 23. These consisted of 14 sheets of prints from the Oeurres de Juste. Aurele Meissonnier, published with Huquier, c. 1749, which are associated with 17 sheets from Le Grand Oppenord. The 9th Duchess of Norfolk inscribed one of the latter 'French Designs [Crossed out] of Finishings of Rooms'.

(3) For a full account of the building of Norfolk House and the music room, sec Desmond Fitz-Gerald, The Norfolk Home Music Room, London, 1973.

(4) Accounts of George Brudenell, 4th Earl of Cardigan and Duke of Montagu, 1754-76, Northampton Country Record Office. Payment of 6.17.6 [pounds sterling] on 20 February 1759.

(5) Quoted by Christopher Simon Sykes, Private Palaces, London, 1985, pp. 132-33.

(6) William Edwards, Carpenter's and Joyner's bill 1751 to Oct 1755, Arundel Castle Archives (ACA), MD 18/3. On 27 October 1755 Edwards charged 'To Cutting away & making good to the chimney piece put up by Mr Pleura'. For G.B. Plum, see John Fleming, 'The Pluras of Turin and Bath', The Connoisseur, vol. CXXXVIII, December 1956, p. 175. I am grateful to Greg Sullivan for this reference.

(7) Quoted by Fitz-Gerald, op. cit. p. 5.

(8) Cuenot's bills for the Music Room are quoted by Fitz-Gerald (op. cit.) in full. Cuenot charged 'to 8 Branches of flowers for Do not design'd in the Drawing 4 [pounds sterling] 2s'; and 'to carving to bottoms of Do (two glass frames) not express'd in the Drawing'. In September 1753, 'Wm Edwards Carpenter' assisted with the Lanthorns with Pedestalls and Bracketts in Lower Part of the grate Staircase as Directed by Monsr Borra' (ACA, Md) 18/3).

(9) ACA, account of Charles Nosotti 1869-86 for Henry 15th Duke of Norfolk.

(10) John Cornforth, Early Georgian Interiors, London and New Haven, 2004, p. 57, stares that two of these tapestries are dated 1754; William Farington's letter is printed in full in Fitz-Gerald, op. cit., pp. 48-49.