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Drawing
Chambers, William - Enlarge image
Drawing
- Date:
18th century (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Chambers, William (Sir), born 1723 - died 1796 (designer)
Yenn, John, born 1750 - died 1832 (designer) - Materials and Techniques:
Pen and ink, pencil and watercolour
- Museum number:
E.5029-1910
- Gallery location:
Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E, case A, shelf 229, box E
Elevation of a candlestick in the form of a griffin probably by John Yenn (1750-1821) from the office of leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). The candlestick is shown in profile, painted in a buff colour. The drawing has an ink border with false shading, as if there were a pink mount around the sheet. The griffin sits on a base decorated with a panel of scrolling foliage. An inscription has been trimmed off the bottom right-hand corner of the sheet. The probable first use of this design was in two pairs of ormolu griffins; one at Hinton Ampner and the other at Blenheim Palace. Such an early use is supported by the yellow wash of this drawing. It is clear that this drawing, which has come down to us as finished presentation drawings by the young John Yenn, is Chambers’s conception.
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.
