Architectural Design thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E , Case A, Shelf 229, Box A

Architectural Design

18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Elevation of a pedestal and an incomplete elevation of a pedestal by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). On the verso, an alternative design for the same pedestal. The design on the recto of this drawing is probably in the hand of John Yenn and it shows a pedestal of square section, tapering toward the base. The side panels of the main part of the pedestal are decorated with recessed panel, echoing the taper. This is coloured green, and filled with rising scrolling foliage issuing from a vase with serpent handles and three legs. The top is decorated with two oval cartouches which contains a rapidly-sketched standing figure. The cornice above is decorated with bands of egg-and-lead and egg-and-dart moulding. The design also contains a plinth and the outline of another pedestal. On the verso of the sheet is a drawing of a third pedestal also probably by Yenn. The pedestal shown on the recto is very similar to one in the Great Gallery at Blenheim, carved by Richard Hayward in 1772, and intended to support an antique head of Alexander the Great (Goodison 1990, p.72). Although it was executed in white marble, the exploratory nature of cat.603 suggests that the pedestal was originally intended to be in different colours. A full-size drawing of the decorative side panel exists in the collection (3404). With the exception of the inclusion of two anthemions on the centre line, the decorative scheme is identical. The drawing, inscribed on the backing sheet in C.J. Richardson's hand Sir W. Chambers, is of early nineteenth-century date but is no doubt traced from one of the eighteenth-century.

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.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink, pencil and green and grey washes
Brief description
Elevation of a pedestal and an incomplete elevation of a pedestal, 18th century, Sir William Chambers (1723-1796).
Physical description
Elevation of a pedestal and an incomplete elevation of a pedestal. On the verso, an alternative design for the same pedestal. The design on the recto of this drawing is probably in the hand of John Yenn and it shows a pedestal of square section, tapering toward the base.
Dimensions
  • Height: 401mm
  • Width: 225mm
Production typeDesign
Object history
Bought from J. Starkie Gardner, 1910
Production
Attribution note: The side panels of the main part of the pedestal are decorated with recessed panel, echoing the taper. This is coloured green, and filled with rising scrolling foliage issuing from a vase with serpent handles and three legs. The top is decorated with two oval cartouches which contains a rapidly-sketched standing figure. The cornice above is decorated with bands of egg-and-lead and egg-and-dart moulding. The design also contains a plinth and the outline of another pedestal. On the verso of the sheet is a drawing of a third pedestal also probably by Yenn. The pedestal shown on the recto is very similar to one in the Great Gallery at Blenheim, carved by Richard Hayward in 1772, and intended to support an antique head of Alexander the Great (Goodison 1990, p.72). Although it was executed in white marble, the exploratory nature of cat.603 suggests that the pedestal was originally intended to be in different colours. A full-size drawing of the decorative side panel exists in the collection (3404). With the exception of the inclusion of two anthemions on the centre line, the decorative scheme is identical. The drawing, inscribed on the backing sheet in C.J. Richardson's hand Sir W. Chambers, is of early nineteenth-century date but is no doubt traced from one of the eighteenth-century.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Elevation of a pedestal and an incomplete elevation of a pedestal by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). On the verso, an alternative design for the same pedestal. The design on the recto of this drawing is probably in the hand of John Yenn and it shows a pedestal of square section, tapering toward the base. The side panels of the main part of the pedestal are decorated with recessed panel, echoing the taper. This is coloured green, and filled with rising scrolling foliage issuing from a vase with serpent handles and three legs. The top is decorated with two oval cartouches which contains a rapidly-sketched standing figure. The cornice above is decorated with bands of egg-and-lead and egg-and-dart moulding. The design also contains a plinth and the outline of another pedestal. On the verso of the sheet is a drawing of a third pedestal also probably by Yenn. The pedestal shown on the recto is very similar to one in the Great Gallery at Blenheim, carved by Richard Hayward in 1772, and intended to support an antique head of Alexander the Great (Goodison 1990, p.72). Although it was executed in white marble, the exploratory nature of cat.603 suggests that the pedestal was originally intended to be in different colours. A full-size drawing of the decorative side panel exists in the collection (3404). With the exception of the inclusion of two anthemions on the centre line, the decorative scheme is identical. The drawing, inscribed on the backing sheet in C.J. Richardson's hand Sir W. Chambers, is of early nineteenth-century date but is no doubt traced from one of the eighteenth-century.

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.
Bibliographic reference
Snodin, M. Sir William Chambers. London: V&A Publications, 1996.
Collection
Accession number
E.5025-1910

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