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Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E , Case A, Shelf 229, Box A

Drawing

18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Survey plan of the first floor of Milton Park, Cambridgeshire for the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). The sheet is composed of two pieces of paper, joined where they overlap with sealing wax forming an L shape. This is a sketch by Chambers, presumably prepared on site as the basis of the design process. The inscriptions and pencil additions indicate proposed alterations and an extension across the complete width of the west front. The wing in the south western corner is shown in a truncated form so that the proposed western façade becomes symmetrical.

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

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink with pencil
Brief description
Survey plan of the first floor of Milton Park, Cambridgeshire for the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam, 18th century, Sir William Chambers (1723-1796).
Physical description
Survey plan of the first floor of Milton Park, Cambridgeshire for the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam. The wing in the south western corner is shown in a truncated form so that the proposed western façade becomes symmetrical.
Dimensions
  • Height: 349mm
  • Width: 464mm
Maximum dimensions
Production typeDesign
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'A plan of the Great Appartment at Milton; North; ' (Inscribed in ink with room names, dimensions and notes.)
  • (Numerous calculations written in pencil)
Object history
Bought from Parsons
Production
Attribution note: The sheet is composed of two pieces of paper, joined where they overlap with sealing wax forming an L shape. This is a sketch by Chambers, presumably prepared on site as the basis of the design process. The inscriptions and pencil additions indicate proposed alterations and an extension across the complete width of the west front. The
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Survey plan of the first floor of Milton Park, Cambridgeshire for the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). The sheet is composed of two pieces of paper, joined where they overlap with sealing wax forming an L shape. This is a sketch by Chambers, presumably prepared on site as the basis of the design process. The inscriptions and pencil additions indicate proposed alterations and an extension across the complete width of the west front. The wing in the south western corner is shown in a truncated form so that the proposed western façade becomes symmetrical.

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.
Bibliographic reference
Snodin, M. Sir William Chambers. London: V&A Publications, 1996.
Collection
Accession number
7076:32

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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