Pair of George III Painted Pole-Screens
the oval banners with painted silk, the frames painted with chains of leaves, adjustable in height on turned stems with tripod bases painted with flowers and leaves, all on a cream ground
Provenance: William Brummell (1745-1794, here portrayed by Nathaniel Dance), Donnington Grove, Berkshire
William Brummell, from humble beginnings as a valet, rose to be private secretary to the prime-minister, Lord North, making a fortune in the process. In 1782, on the retirement of Lord North, Brummell acquired a small country estate, The Grove, Donnington, Berkshire, for which the present pole-screens were made. They were part of a larger suite supplied for the drawing-room which also included a pair of side-tables, a pair of window-benches and armchairs. His second son was George (Beau) Brummell
