Sir William Chambers

by Michael Snodin, John Styles

Sir William Chambers, 1723-96, perhaps best-known as the designer of Somerset House, London, was one of the most important academic architects of the eighteenth century and a key figure in the neo-classical revival, both in Britain and abroad. This catalogue describes and illuminates the largest and most wide-ranging collection of his surviving drawings, the 863 designs and topographical drawings in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Slightly more than half are contained in the Franco-Italian Album, a unique record of Chambers's observation of building and architectural details in France and Italy in the early 1750s. Never catalogued in detail before, it is revealed here as one of the key documents in understanding the origins of the neo-classical style. The design drawings in the collection range from early unbuilt schemes in an advanced neo-classical style, such as the Mausoleum for Frederick Prince of Wales, to drawings for nearly all of Chambers's main executed buildings including Somerset House. The collection is unusually rich in designs for interior decoration and furniture, as well as containing a uniquely important group of designs for silver. The wide range of subjects is complemented by the large number of different graphic techniques used, allowing the additional interest of being able to analyse both the actual function of the drawings and their role in Chambers's design office.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Michael Snodin has been responsible for the remarkable restoration of Strawberry Hill.