Architectural Design
18th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Elevation of a mirror frame ornamented with scallop shells by John Yenn (1750-1821) from the office of leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). The top of the main frame is formed as a double curve. It is surmounted by a smaller subsidiary frame, asymmetrically wreathed in palm and oak fronds.
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.
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 blue and grey washes. Laid on to a partially removed nineteenth-century backing sheet. |
Brief description | Elevation of a mirror frame ornamented with scallop shells, 18th century, John Yenn (1750-1821) office of Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). |
Physical description | Elevation of a mirror frame ornamented with scallop shells. The top of the main frame is formed as a double curve. It is surmounted by a smaller subsidiary frame, asymmetrically wreathed in palm and oak fronds. |
Dimensions |
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Production type | Design |
Object history | Bought from J. Starkie Gardner, 1910. |
Production | Attribution note: Drawn in an office hand, perhaps that of John Yenn. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Elevation of a mirror frame ornamented with scallop shells by John Yenn (1750-1821) from the office of leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). The top of the main frame is formed as a double curve. It is surmounted by a smaller subsidiary frame, asymmetrically wreathed in palm and oak fronds. 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.
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Collection | |
Accession number | E.4982-1910 |
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Record created | June 30, 2009 |
Record URL |
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