Sir William Chambers, 1722 - 1796. Architect
About this artwork
Chamber's career as an architect paralleled that of his great rival, Robert Adam. He was never as fashionable as Adam but he was the greatest official architect of his day. He made his reputation with his designs for the grounds and buildings at Kew. His pagoda there began the vogue for chinese-style design, known as chinoiserie. Somerset House in London was his most ambitious project; in Edinburgh, he built Dundas House in St Andrew Square, now the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Updated before 2020
-
artist:Francis Cotes (1726 - 1770) English
-
title:Sir William Chambers, 1722 - 1796. Architect
-
date created:1764
-
materials:Chalk on paper
-
measurements:63.50 x 48.20 cm (framed: 79.37 x 64.43 x 7.62 cm)
-
object type:
-
credit line:Purchased 1904
-
accession number:PG 629
-
gallery:
-
depicted:
-
artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Francis Cotes
Francis Cotes
Cotes was born in London. At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to George Knapton, a respected artist who had painted the royal family. Cotes was a founder member of both the Society of Artists and the Royal Academy. He was an important pastel portraitist as well as a skilled oil painter. Cotes...