Drawing
18th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Elevations, three on one sheet, for metal borders of rooms by John Yenn (1750-1821) from the office of Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). This drawing copies another or others and is included here because it is unclear if the borders, designed to conceal the edges of textile wall covering, are designed by Chambers or by Yenn. No other designs for these are known from the Chambers circle. The upper two borders are variations on Chambers’s favourite running scroll, the bottom one a more fanciful composition of waving leaves, perhaps more attributable to Yenn.
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 | Pen and ink, pencil and yellow and grey washes |
Brief description | Elevations, three on one sheet, for metal borders of rooms, 18th century, John Yenn (1750-1821) Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). |
Physical description | Elevations, three on one sheet, for metal borders of rooms. |
Dimensions |
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Production type | Design |
Marks and inscriptions | 'Metal borders for rooms' |
Object history | Bought from B. Quaritch, 1863 (Yenn Album) |
Production | Attribution note: This drawing, by John Yenn, copying another or others, is included here because it is unclear if the borders, designed to conceal the edges of textile wall covering, are designed by Chambers or by Yenn. No other designs for these are known from the Chambers circle. The upper two borders are variations on Chambers's favourite running scroll, the bottom one a more fanciful composition of waving leaves, perhaps more attributable to Yenn. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Elevations, three on one sheet, for metal borders of rooms by John Yenn (1750-1821) from the office of Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). This drawing copies another or others and is included here because it is unclear if the borders, designed to conceal the edges of textile wall covering, are designed by Chambers or by Yenn. No other designs for these are known from the Chambers circle. The upper two borders are variations on Chambers’s favourite running scroll, the bottom one a more fanciful composition of waving leaves, perhaps more attributable to Yenn. 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.
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Collection | |
Accession number | 3861:21 |
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Record created | June 30, 2009 |
Record URL |
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