Architectural Drawing thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E , Case A, Shelf 229, Box D

Architectural Drawing

1750s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

These are three fragments from an ideal design of the 1750s.

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, pencil and yellow and grey washes. Irregular, the size of the original sheet.
Brief description
Fragmentary plan of an oval garden feature; William Chambers.
Physical description
Fragmentary plan of an oval garden feature. These are three fragments from an ideal design of the 1750s. At one end is an entry passage with niches, and, in the middle, a fountain or pond. Opposite, and on either side of the oval are three casinos. (Scale: I 5/8 in. to 10 ft.)
Dimensions
  • Height: 451mm
  • Width: 658mm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'Entry' 'Cascade' 'Size for a Bijou of this kind' ((ink) with dimensions.)
Subjects depicted
Summary
These are three fragments from an ideal design of the 1750s.

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 Catalogue Number: 767
Collection
Accession number
7074:70

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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