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Design

  • Date:

    ca.1598-1603 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Chambers, William (Sir), born 1723 - died 1796 (drawn by)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Pen and ink, pencil and black, blue and grey washes

  • Museum number:

    7076:22

  • Gallery location:

    Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E, case A, shelf 229

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Plan and partial section of the cascade and associated water theatre by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). The design was probably drawn between 1598-1603. Villa and cascade desgined by Giacomo della Porta. 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.

Physical description

Plan and partial section of the cascade and associated water theatre. Upper edge of the sheet is damaged by water and the worst affected area has been removed, leaving an uneven tear. The upper end of the cross section has been lost as has most of a dimensioned diagram of the upper part of the structure. The plan ca. 1598-1603 shows the right-hand part of the façade only. Villa and cascade desgined by Giacomo della Porta.

Date

ca.1598-1603 (made)

Artist/maker

Chambers, William (Sir), born 1723 - died 1796 (drawn by)

Materials and Techniques

Pen and ink, pencil and black, blue and grey washes

Marks and inscriptions

'Plan of the Façade of the Cascade at the Belvedere at Frescati; Profile of the Cascade; The Whole Intention of this composition is….'

Dimensions

Height: 315 mm, Width: 634 mm

Descriptive line

Plan and partial section of the cascade and associated water theatre by Sir William Chambers (1723-1796).

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Snodin, Michael. Sir William Chambers London: V&A Publications, 1996. ISBN: 1851771824
Snodin catalogue number 509

Production Note

Attribution note: See also cat.218.

Materials

Pencil; Pen and ink; Grey wash

Techniques

Drawing; Painting

Subjects depicted

Plan; Water; Façade; Theatres; Cascade

Categories

Architecture; Drawings; Designs

Production Type

Design

Collection code

PDP

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Qr_O248610
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