Wardrobe - Cabinet William Vile

Our piece of furniture is a cabinet in a wardrobe from a series of 9 cabinets made in 1763 by William Vile at the request of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg - Strelitz, wife of King George III of England whose reign extended from 1761 to 1818, a period which coincided with the almost permanent rivalry with France (7 Years' War, the War of Independence in the Americas, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Empire). The royal couple was keenly interested in the fine arts and was particularly fond of cabinetmaker William Vile. These 9 cabinets were made for Queen Charlotte to receive and house the organ and harpsichord rolls. They were intended for the Kensington Palace Gallery. During the reign of Queen Victoria, 7 of them were brought back to Buckingham Palace, then all under that of Queen Mary. 8 are now gathered at the Palace of Windsor. The vivid, crisp carvings on the door fronts are entirely consistent with William Vile's work of this date and match the carving he would have added to the organ. Our cabinet is a quality work carried out in the 2nd part of the 19th century according to the model of William Vile of 1763. Cabinet opening with 2 richly carved doors with a large oval medallion in its center and interlacing of plants in its angles. Surmounted by an ogee step, underlined by 2 high and low rows of gadroons, it rests on 4 sculpted lion claws. This cabinet is organized as a cupboard compartmentalized into a wardrobe on its left side and a shelf on its right side. Dimensions: Height: 176 cm Width: 112 cm Depth: 54 cm