Drawing
1733-1736 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Design (elevation and profile) for the chimney piece of the Board Room in the New Treasury built by architect and designer William Kent (1685-1748), 1733-1736. The carved over mantel contains a circular oil-painting of a reclining lion, instead of the bust which was later inserted. On two sheets joined. The upper sheet, containing the drawing of the over mantel and picture, is the work of Kent, but the lower sheet, containing the fire-place, is by John Vardy. On the upper sheet are pencil sketches of caryatids probably intended as alternatives to features shown in the design. On the back of the lower sheet is a pencil sketch of an urn.
Kent visited Rome in 1715 where he met Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington who became his patron. Boyle encouraged Kent’s interest in architecture when they returned to London together and Kent soon started receiving commissions for buildings and furniture in the classical style. His most famous buildings include Holkham Hall, Norfolk, and the Horse Guards, Whitehall.
Kent visited Rome in 1715 where he met Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington who became his patron. Boyle encouraged Kent’s interest in architecture when they returned to London together and Kent soon started receiving commissions for buildings and furniture in the classical style. His most famous buildings include Holkham Hall, Norfolk, and the Horse Guards, Whitehall.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil, pen and ink and wash. |
| Brief description | Architectural drawing for the chimney-piece of the Board Room in the New Treasury built from 1733-1736 by William Kent (1685-1748). |
| Physical description | Design (elevation and profile) for the chimney piece of the Board Room in the New Treasury built by Kent, 1733-1736. The carved over mantel contains a circular oil-painting (?) of a reclining lion, instead of the bust which was later inserted. On two sheets joined. The upper sheet, containing the drawing of the over mantel and picture, is the work of Kent, but the lower sheet, containing the fire-place, is by John Vardy. On the upper sheet are pencil sketches of caryatids probably intended as alternatives to features shown in the design. On the back of the lower sheet is a pencil sketch of an urn. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | This object was once part of an album of designs by various architects, artists and designers collected by the architect Charles James Richardson, and was bought from him by the Museum in 1863. |
| Historical context | Apart from the substitution of a bust of Charles James Fox for the relief carving or painting of the lion in the overmantel the chimney-piece exists today as represented in this joint design. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Design (elevation and profile) for the chimney piece of the Board Room in the New Treasury built by architect and designer William Kent (1685-1748), 1733-1736. The carved over mantel contains a circular oil-painting of a reclining lion, instead of the bust which was later inserted. On two sheets joined. The upper sheet, containing the drawing of the over mantel and picture, is the work of Kent, but the lower sheet, containing the fire-place, is by John Vardy. On the upper sheet are pencil sketches of caryatids probably intended as alternatives to features shown in the design. On the back of the lower sheet is a pencil sketch of an urn. Kent visited Rome in 1715 where he met Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington who became his patron. Boyle encouraged Kent’s interest in architecture when they returned to London together and Kent soon started receiving commissions for buildings and furniture in the classical style. His most famous buildings include Holkham Hall, Norfolk, and the Horse Guards, Whitehall. |
| Bibliographic reference | K. Barkley, "A Kent-Vardy Collaboration" in: Country Life, Vol. 128, p. 791, 13 October 1960. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 3436:199 |
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| Record created | October 16, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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