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Drawing

1847-1848 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This detail prepared in Crace's workshop, follows exactly the design given and the colours indicated in D.870-1908.

The designs for Burton Closes in Bakewell, Derbyshire, provide a valuable example of Pugin’s domestic interiors. The existence of such a complete set of design drawings and Crace’s coloured trials offer an unusual opportunity to understand Pugin’s original intentions. Burton Closes was a newly built house, in picturesque Elizabethan style, when Pugin and J. G. Crace were commissioned by John Allcard to decorate the house. Allcard commented in 1848 that ‘I am not a little astonished at the Beauty and grandeur of our doing’.

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-52) is widely considered as one of the most significant and influential architects, designers and theorists of the 19th century. Following his conversion to Catholicism in 1835, he identified the Gothic style with Christian architecture and his work and writings inspired and framed the Gothic Revival. In 'Contrasts', published in 1836, he condemned classical forms and ardently praised 14th and 15th-century architecture. Pugin is best remembered for his work on the Palace of Westminster.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Body-colour on vellum body-coloured ground
Brief description
Design for central panel and border of ceiling for Burton Closes; A.W.N. Pugin, 1840s.
Physical description
Full size trial of complete central design and part of border for square ceiling panel of drawing room shown in D.870-1908. The design has probably been transferred by stencil.
Dimensions
  • Height: 640mm
  • Width: 490mm
Style
Object history
This detail prepared in Crace's workshop, follows exactly the design given and the colours indicated in D.870-1908.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
This detail prepared in Crace's workshop, follows exactly the design given and the colours indicated in D.870-1908.

The designs for Burton Closes in Bakewell, Derbyshire, provide a valuable example of Pugin’s domestic interiors. The existence of such a complete set of design drawings and Crace’s coloured trials offer an unusual opportunity to understand Pugin’s original intentions. Burton Closes was a newly built house, in picturesque Elizabethan style, when Pugin and J. G. Crace were commissioned by John Allcard to decorate the house. Allcard commented in 1848 that ‘I am not a little astonished at the Beauty and grandeur of our doing’.

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-52) is widely considered as one of the most significant and influential architects, designers and theorists of the 19th century. Following his conversion to Catholicism in 1835, he identified the Gothic style with Christian architecture and his work and writings inspired and framed the Gothic Revival. In 'Contrasts', published in 1836, he condemned classical forms and ardently praised 14th and 15th-century architecture. Pugin is best remembered for his work on the Palace of Westminster.
Associated object
Bibliographic reference
Alexandra Wedgwood, A.W.N. Pugin and the Pugin Family , London; V&A, 1985, pp. 176-180.
Collection
Accession number
D.958-1908

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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