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Drawing

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

The interior of Melbourne house is poorly recorded. It is not possible to say which of the alternative decorative schemes for the Eating Room colonnade was chosen.

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

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink, pencil and grey washes
Brief description
Elevation of the Eating Room colonnade for Melbourne House; William Chambers.
Physical description
Elevation of the Eating Room colonnade showing the alternative treatments of the frieze and capitals of Melbourne House, Westminster for the 1st Lord Melbourne. (Scale: ½ in. to I ft).
Dimensions
  • Height: 288mm
  • Width: 377mm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Melbourne House' (in pencil in a 19th century hand)
  • Chambers, Sir W.R.A. (in pencil on the verso)
Object history
Given by Aleck Abrahams, 1916
Historical context
The interior of Melbourne house is poorly recorded. It is not possible to say which of the alternative decorative schemes for the Eating Room colonnade was chosen.
Summary
The interior of Melbourne house is poorly recorded. It is not possible to say which of the alternative decorative schemes for the Eating Room colonnade was chosen.

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.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Harris 1970, pp.226, 227.
  • Snodin Catalogue Number: 667
Collection
Accession number
E.839-1916

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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