Last of the Stuarts

Anne, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland



A Queen Anne red lacquered Japanned looking glass, 18th Century, arched crest, molded scalloped frame, divided beveled mirror plate, the whole with later landscape and floral gilt and lacquer decoration.

From Neal Auction Company



A Queen Anne mahogany wing armchair, English 18th Century. Chairs such as these were often covered in crewelwork or needlepoint. A heavy velvet is an inapropriate fabric choice that does nothing for the lines of the chair.



A Queen Anne walnut bureau cabinet in three stages, the upper stage with moulded cornice and cushion- moulded frieze drawer above a pair of crossbanded panelled doors, enclosing shelves, pigeon-holes and small drawers, the lower stage with conforming fall-front enclosing a stepped arrangement of small drawers and pigeon- holes around an arched central cupboard and stationery well, raised on a stand with one short and two deep drawers raised above an arched apron on turned supports conjoined by a shaped flat stretcher, circa 1700-10.



A Queen Anne walnut tallboy, English early 18th Century.



A Queen Anne walnut lowboy, English, circa 1710.



Yew wood and walnut serpentine- fronted sideboard in the Queen Anne manner, 20th Century. Though usually well made, the fussier 20th Century interpretations of the style always manage to look cheap. Painted, it would undoubtedly look cheap and hideous.



Queen Anne (1665 -1714) was the last monarch of the House of Stuart. The style, 1702 - 1714, is a refinement of the previous style of William and Mary. Cabinetmakers replaced the straight, turned leg with the more graceful cabriole leg - which terminated in a simple pad foot, or occasionally the drake foot, which has three carved toes. Walnut became the preferred wood. As did the art of veneering using rare woods. Another Queen Anne innovation was individual pieces being designed for a specific purpose (such as gaming tables, tea tables and writing tables).



A good reference book, Queen Anne Furniture: History, Design and Construction



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