Drawing
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Chambers, William (Sir), born 1723 - died 1796 (made)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pen and ink, pencil and grey washes
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E, case A, shelf 229
- Download image
Elevation and quarter plans of an ancient altar with a ram's head, garland, ribbons and a mask by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). 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.
Physical description
Elevation and quarter plans of an ancient altar with a ram's head, garland, ribbons and a mask.
Date
18th century (made)
Artist/maker
Chambers, William (Sir), born 1723 - died 1796 (made)
Materials and Techniques
Pen and ink, pencil and grey washes
Dimensions
Height: 402 mm, Width: 257 mm
Object history note
Bought from Parsons
The villa was built in 1564 by Annibale Lippi. The garden façade is decorated with stucco ornaments and panels of antique bas-reliefs, and the gardens and a gallery under the upper terrace were filled with classical sculpture. This finished drawing is derived from a sketch in the Franco-Italian Album, cat.374. It shows a pedestal with bands of ornament at the top and bottom. At the top, bucrania alternate with, and are linked with beads, to stylized floral motifs composed of small rectangular blocks. At the bottom is a complex running fret with rosettes. Broader mouldings at the top are decorated with egg and dart, and at the bottom with astragal and leaves. The drawing has been cut in two- between the elevation and the plans- but has now been re-united. See also cats.370-377.
Descriptive line
Elevation and quarter plans of an ancient altar with a ram's head, garland, ribbons and a mask, 18th century, Sir William Chambers (1723-1796).
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Snodin, M. Sir William Chambers. London: V&A Publications, 1996.
Snodin reference number 560
Materials
Pencil; Pen and ink; Grey wash
Techniques
Drawing; Painting
Subjects depicted
Masks; Altar; Garland; Ribbons; Ram
Categories
Architecture; Drawings; Designs
Production Type
Design
Collection code
PDP
