A George III Giltwood Confidante Sofa
Attributed to John Linnell, Circa 1780
Height 44 x width 126 1/2 x depth 37 1/4 inches.
Property from the Art Institute of Chicago

Note:
Tripartite sofas such as the present example, which allowed for confidential conversation between sitters, originated in mid-18th century France. The form was adopted by English makers and appears in numerous publications of furniture designs.

A confidante sofa attributed to Thomas Chippendale is in the collection of Basildon Park, Berkshire (National Trust: 266682). Another design by Hepplewhite appears in his Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide, published in 1788. A drawing for the design of a closely related confidante sofa by John Linnell is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (No. E.121-1929). That drawing shares design elements with the present sofa, such as tapering legs with bellflower carving.

Photo credit: Copyright Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Seat height: 16 1/2 inches.
one of the back legs with painted museum accession number: 1940.1055