Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E , Case W, Shelf 1

Drawing

April 1773 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This design is part of a group of over 900 drawings of frames, mainly for pier glasses, overmantels, and girandoles. Many of these workshop designs share similar characteristics such as leaf scrolls and festoons of husks. Most of them are numbered, contain information about who ordered them, the date, the price (written in code), the colour of the frame and the dimensions of the finished object.

The drawings from John Linnell's workshop survive over the period 1773 to 1783. From April 1773 to August 1778, the workshop produced about twelve pieces a month. Production decreased over the next two years to 3 or 4 pieces a month. In 1783 these designs were no longer produced.

Robert Adam, a leading architect, was a key influence on the neoclassical designs of John Linnell. Linnell worked with Adam for the first time at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire, and they worked together on a number of other occasions. In the early 1770s festoons of husks began to be used on pier glasses and they are very prominent within these workshop designs.

John Linnell (1729-1796) was the son of the famous furniture maker William Linnell (ca. 1703-1763). Unlike most furniture makers, John Linnell gained a design education at the St. Martin's Lane Academy, which was founded by William Hogarth in 1735. In 1750, aged 21, he joined his father's firm as a designer. On his father's death in 1763, John Linnell took over the family firm. During his lifetime John Linnell produced high quality furniture, which rivalled that of other leading furniture makers such as Thomas Chippendale, John Cobb and William Ince and John Mayhew.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Ink, pencil, yellow and brown watercolour, red chalk
Brief description
Four designs for looking glasses, one design for a girandole, four designs for flower motifs; John Linnell.
Physical description
'No. 16' A design for an oval pier glass. Half the design is sketched, and the other half is sketched even more barely. The frame is vertically aligned. There is a patera at the top and husk festoons on the sides of the frame. The crest features an urn, and above this husk festoons fall from a bow. Separate is a detail of the husk used for the festoons.

'No. 17' A design for an oval pier glass, which is almost circular. Half of the design is highly finished, the other side is sketched. The frame is vertically aligned. The frame features neoclassical moulding. Husk festoons hang down the sides, held at the top by rams' heads. The apron features acanthus scrolls. On the crest acanthus scrolls support a large urn with animal head handles. Separate is a detail of the husk used for the festoons.

'No. 18' Half a design for an oval pier glass. The frame is vertically aligned. The frame features neoclassical moulding. The apron features a ram's head. Husk festoons and acanthus c-scrolls curl around the sides. The crest is topped with a bow. Separate is a detail of the husk used for the festoons.

'No. 19' A design for a girandole with an urn finial. Half of the design is finished, the other half is barely sketched. Two candle sockets sit on acanthus scroll supports at the bottom of the girandole. Husk festoons follow the line of the mirror on the outside.

'No. 20' A design for an oval pier glass. Half of the design is highly finished the other half has minimal detail. The frame features neoclassical moulding. Husk festoons curve around the frame, and loop over a flower on the apron. The crest is topped by an urn sitting on a long base. Separate is a detail of the husk used for the festoons in red chalk.
Dimensions
  • Mount height: 54.5cm
  • Mount width: 74.6cm
  • Design height: 31.7cm
  • Design width: 55.5cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'No. 16' 'Mr Hooper 1 in Repd wt april 30th 1773 / 21-16' ('wt' is white. '21-16' gives the dimensions of the mirrored glass.)
  • 'No. 17' 'Mrs Goadly 2 B. gold 41-29 April 28:1773' ('B. gold' is burnished gold. '41-29' gives the dimensions of the glass.)
  • 'No. 18' 'Mr Reed 2 in B. gold April 27th 1773 / 27-21' 'Mr Blackford [illegible] of' ('B. gold' is burnished gold. '27-21' provides the dimensions of the mirrored glass.)
  • 'No. 19' 'Mr Jones 1 in Repd white April 23:1773'
  • 'No. 20' 'Mrs Bramston 2 frames burnish'd gold. April 17 1773 / 30-22' ('30-22' gives the dimensions of the glass)
Subjects depicted
Summary
This design is part of a group of over 900 drawings of frames, mainly for pier glasses, overmantels, and girandoles. Many of these workshop designs share similar characteristics such as leaf scrolls and festoons of husks. Most of them are numbered, contain information about who ordered them, the date, the price (written in code), the colour of the frame and the dimensions of the finished object.

The drawings from John Linnell's workshop survive over the period 1773 to 1783. From April 1773 to August 1778, the workshop produced about twelve pieces a month. Production decreased over the next two years to 3 or 4 pieces a month. In 1783 these designs were no longer produced.

Robert Adam, a leading architect, was a key influence on the neoclassical designs of John Linnell. Linnell worked with Adam for the first time at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire, and they worked together on a number of other occasions. In the early 1770s festoons of husks began to be used on pier glasses and they are very prominent within these workshop designs.

John Linnell (1729-1796) was the son of the famous furniture maker William Linnell (ca. 1703-1763). Unlike most furniture makers, John Linnell gained a design education at the St. Martin's Lane Academy, which was founded by William Hogarth in 1735. In 1750, aged 21, he joined his father's firm as a designer. On his father's death in 1763, John Linnell took over the family firm. During his lifetime John Linnell produced high quality furniture, which rivalled that of other leading furniture makers such as Thomas Chippendale, John Cobb and William Ince and John Mayhew.
Bibliographic references
  • Helena Hayward and Pat Kirkham,William and John Linnell; eighteenth century London furniture makers (London, ca. 1980).
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design, Accessions 1911, London, Printed for His Majesty’s Stationery Office 1912
Collection
Accession number
E.3468-1911

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest