A Gustavian late 18th century sofa Confidante.
White painted. Length 336, height 112 cm.
Damages. Repairs. Colour losses.
Literature
Slott och herresäten i Sverige, Södermanland I, Allhems förlag 1968, page 304, compare similar Gustavian sofa at Hörningsholm.
Styles, Meubles decors du Louis XVI à nos jours, Larousse, 1972, p. 83, John Linnell's design for a sofa Confidante.
The Dictionary of English Furniture, Ralph Edwards, 1954. del 3, p. 98, George Hepplewhite's design for a sofa Confidante (Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide).
Groth, Håkan, Nyklassicismen i Sverige, Prisma 2000, Tullgarn Palace, The Red parlour, page 107, compare sofa Confidante made by Melchior Lundberg (master in Stockholm 1775-1812).
More information
The three-part couch originated in France in the mid-18th century. The sofa's construction with delimiting armrests at each end allowed confidential conversations, there of the name "Confidante". In the second half of the 18th century, George Hepplewhite and John Linnell in London designed different models of this type of sofa. In Sweden, it occurred during Gustavian times, but is rather unusual. There are two sofas in private ownership, one of which is depicted in the salon at Hörningsholm 1968, and a third in the Royal collections at Tullgarn Palace. The royal couch is made by Melchior Lundberg, who was master in Stockholm 1775-1812.