Architectural Drawing
18th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Uncompleted elevation of a drawing of a pair of gates and screen in an unknown church by leading architect and designer, Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). It is an incomplete drawing and shows a screen with double gates that has been cut into at least five pieces. Four pieces, showing the gates and the screen on either side of the gates, have here been reassembled. The piece showing the screen above the gates is missing. Each gate has an oval, ribboned laurel wreath containing a winged angel's head wearing a papal tiara above a pair of wings and the crossed keys of St. Peter. This is framed, within the gate, by a guilloche and, at the junctions in the pattern, by a rosette. Above and below the central papal motifs are bands decorated with calyx with small rosettes. On either side of the gates are screens composed of pairs of columns in a Composite order. Between the columns are elaborate screens of scrolling ironwork; each containing seraphim and cherubim heads.
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.
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 | Pencil, pen and ink with grey washes |
Brief description | Uncompleted elevation of a drawing of a pair of gates and screen in an unknown church, 18th century, Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). |
Physical description | Uncompleted elevation of a drawing of a pair of gates and screen in an unknown church. It is an incomplete drawing and shows a screen with double gates that has been cut into at least five pieces. Four pieces, showing the gates and the screen on either side of the gates, have here been reassembled. The piece showing the screen above the gates is missing. Each gate has an oval, ribboned laurel wreath containing a winged angel's head wearing a papal tiara above a pair of wings and the crossed keys of St. Peter. This is framed, within the gate, by a guilloche and, at the junctions in the pattern, by a rosette. Above and below the central papal motifs are bands decorated with calyx with small rosettes. On either side of the gates are screens composed of pairs of columns in a Composite order. Between the columns are elaborate screens of scrolling ironwork; each containing seraphim and cherubim heads. |
Dimensions |
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Production type | Design |
Marks and inscriptions | 'Sir W Chambers' (On the verso, in pencil and in a later hand) |
Production | Attribution note: See also cats. 486, 487 and 598 |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Uncompleted elevation of a drawing of a pair of gates and screen in an unknown church by leading architect and designer, Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). It is an incomplete drawing and shows a screen with double gates that has been cut into at least five pieces. Four pieces, showing the gates and the screen on either side of the gates, have here been reassembled. The piece showing the screen above the gates is missing. Each gate has an oval, ribboned laurel wreath containing a winged angel's head wearing a papal tiara above a pair of wings and the crossed keys of St. Peter. This is framed, within the gate, by a guilloche and, at the junctions in the pattern, by a rosette. Above and below the central papal motifs are bands decorated with calyx with small rosettes. On either side of the gates are screens composed of pairs of columns in a Composite order. Between the columns are elaborate screens of scrolling ironwork; each containing seraphim and cherubim heads. 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 | 7074:50/A |
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Record created | June 30, 2009 |
Record URL |
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