Drawing
18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker |
Chambers was born in Sweden and died in London. He travelled widely, visiting China, and studied architecture at the Ecole des Arts, Paris, from 1749 and in Italy from 1750 to 1755. Many of his drawings from this period are contained in his important 'Franco-Italian' album, held in the V&A. Chambers moved to London in 1755 and published his influential Treatise on Civil Architecture in 1759. Chambers demonstrated the breadth of his style in buildings such as Gower (later Carrington) House and Melbourne House, London, in such country houses as Duddingston, Scotland, and in the garden architecture he designed for Wilton House, Wiltshire, and at Kew Gardens. He became head of government building in 1782, and in this capacity built Somerset House, London.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Sketch elevation of a mirror, with a sketch design showing a lion's head and bow of rope for suspension, for no.13 Berners Street. On the verso, a half design for an urn. This design provides an indication of the refined taste and late rococo style in which the house must have been furnished. |
| Physical description | Sketch elevation of a mirror, with a sketch design showing a lion's head and bow of rope for suspension, for no.13 Berners Street. On the verso, a half design for an urn. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | Bought from Parsons |
| Historical context | Chambers designed and built at least nineteen houses in Berners Street and possibly about twenty-six. The first house, no.13 was for him and designed in 1764-1765. The houses were well built but all the houses that Chambers designed in Berners Street have been demolished. |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | Chambers was born in Sweden and died in London. He travelled widely, visiting China, and studied architecture at the Ecole des Arts, Paris, from 1749 and in Italy from 1750 to 1755. Many of his drawings from this period are contained in his important 'Franco-Italian' album, held in the V&A. Chambers moved to London in 1755 and published his influential Treatise on Civil Architecture in 1759. Chambers demonstrated the breadth of his style in buildings such as Gower (later Carrington) House and Melbourne House, London, in such country houses as Duddingston, Scotland, and in the garden architecture he designed for Wilton House, Wiltshire, and at Kew Gardens. He became head of government building in 1782, and in this capacity built Somerset House, London. |
| Associated objects | |
| Bibliographic reference | Snodin, M. Sir William Chambers. London: V&A Publications, 1996.
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 7078:4 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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