The Franco-Italian Album thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E , Case SB5, Shelf SH8, Box 93.B.21

The Franco-Italian Album

Design
1749-1755 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A mourning caryatid figure supporting an Ionic volute, from the bench of the Public High Court by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). 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
TitleThe Franco-Italian Album (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil and grey wash
Brief description
A mourning caryatid figure supporting an Ionic volute, from the bench of the Public High Court by Sir William Chambers (1723-1796).
Physical description
A mourning caryatid figure supporting an Ionic volute, from the bench of the Public High Court.
Dimensions
  • Height: 136mm
  • Width: 174mm
Production typeDesign
Marks and inscriptions
  • '157' (Numbered)
  • 'Amsterdam Stathouse' (Inscribed in ink)
Production
Attribution note: A different view of the caryatid figure in cat. 505 appears in the Treatise (Chambers 1759, plate facing p.36, fig 5; Chambers 1791, pl.14, fig 5.). The sculptural decoration was carved by Artus Quellien and his assistants.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
A mourning caryatid figure supporting an Ionic volute, from the bench of the Public High Court by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). 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 references
  • Snodin, Michael. Sir William Chambers London: V&A Publications, 1996. ISBN: 1851771824
  • Kisluk-Grosheide, Daniëlle and Rondot, Bertrand (Eds.) Visiteurs de Versailles: Voyageurs, princes, ambassadeurs (1682-1789) Paris: Gallimard, 2017
Collection
Accession number
5712:198

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Record createdJune 11, 2009
Record URL
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