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Architectural drawing
Sir William Chambers, born 1723 - died 1796 - Enlarge image
Architectural drawing
- Place of origin:
London (probably, made)
- Date:
18th century (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Sir William Chambers, born 1723 - died 1796 (designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pen and ink with pencil
- Museum number:
7074:17
- Gallery location:
Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E, case A, shelf 229
Two fragments of one sheet showing a compressed section of a cornice and other mouldings by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). The sections shown are for internal mouldings. These two fragments were cut from the same sheet. Unfortunately the section which joined them is missing so it is impossible to judge how far apart they originally were.
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.
