The Classicist: Sotheby's to Auction Treasures from Chatsworth, England's Most Famous Country Estate

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Aug 30th 2010 at 9:01AM

On October 5–7 Sotheby's will stage what amounts to the world's most luxurious yard sale at Chatsworth (above), England's most famous and beautiful country estate, owned by the the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The treasures on offer include art, architectural elements, furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, and other items – even an antique motorcar – with estimates ranging from £20 to £300,000, or about $30 to $450,000. The sale comprises 20,000 objects in over 1,000 lots which will be on view in a series of marquees on the grounds of the house from October 1st. The several million dollars which the sale is expected to generate will go towards upkeep on the famed estate, which has 126 rooms – including a bathroom with murals painted by Lucian Freud – and sits on over 30,000 acres.

Several of the most magnificent pieces – handsomely carved fireplaces, architraves, doors and shutters - were once part of the fabric of the many great houses that have featured in the Devonshire family's extraordinary history, including Chatsworth itself, Chiswick House, Hardwick Hall, Lismore Castle in Ireland, Compton Place, Bolton Abbey and especially their palatial London residence, Devonshire House – now destroyed but for centuries the centre of the city's social, political and cultural elite. The sale includes works from almost every conceivable area, including books, carriages, glass, collectibles, sculpture, garden statuary, natural history, jewelry, prints, carpets, textiles, tapestries and wine. Some items relate to royalty and others to one of the family's most colorful members, the beautiful and charismatic Georgiana Cavendish, 5th Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806), one of the most beloved and influential characters in British history. [continued]

Gallery: Treasures from Chatsworth & Devonshire House

George III gilt-bronze mounted library bookcase / doorway, circa 1800

The Devonshire Borghese table, an Italian carved giltwood console table with a serpentine alabaster veneered top, mid-18th centu

An ormolu-mounted Sevres style jardini�re, late 19th century, Est. �2,000-3,000

The legendary Duchess was the leading light of London life, the undisputed queen of fashion and society. She was painted by Gainsborough and Reynolds, and her dramatic life inspired The Duchess (2008) starring Keira Knightley, which was partly filmed at Chatsworth and which won an Academy Award for best costume design. The estate also appeared in the 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, representing Pemberley. Among the highlights of the sale are a magnificent George II carved white marble chimneypiece by William Kent, circa 1735, est. at £200,000–£300,000; a vast Regency mahogany extending dining table, from the State Dining Room at Chatsworth where some of Britain's most illustrious figures have supped, est. at £150,000–£250,000; and a George III gilt-bronze mounted library bookcase, circa 1800, est. £60,000–£80,000 with a 'hidden door', used by King George IV to visit his mistress. See the gallery for pix.

Tags: antiques, architectural, aristocrats, British style, castle, Chatsworth, Chatsworth Estate, country estate, country house, Duchess of Devonshire, Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Duke of Devonshire, England, English country house, fireplaces, furniture, Jane Austen, Keira Knightley, King George IV, Lismore Castle, London, mahogany, mansion, marble, Pride and Prejudice, royalty, silver, UK