ca. 1715-25
Description
Thornhill was the most important native-born baroque decorative painter of the early eighteenth century, competing in a field which had been dominated previously by foreign artists trained in the Continental tradition. A large number of sketches and preliminary studies for his schemes survive, such as this one. It is not known for which location it was intended, although in the past it has been linked to Thornhill's designs for Canons, Middlesex, the imposing new mansion built by James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos. It shows a grand staircase richly painted with mythological scenes - the Birth of Venus in the centre, Neptune in his chariot to the left and an assembly of the gods on the ceiling above.
Gallery label, August 2004
Medium: Graphite, ink and watercolour on paper
Credit line: 'Purchased as part of the Oppé Collection with assistance from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund 1996'
Image Licence
CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 (Unported)
Image Credit
© Tate, London 2019
Location
Canons Park, Edgware, London, England
Country
England
Medium
Watercolour
Tags
Category
Buildings & Architecture
TWW Comment
It has been suggested that these designs were for the Cannons estate, built at Little Stanmore, Middlesex, between 1713 and 1725 for James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos. Thornhill decorated the mansion, but this layout does not fit what is known of the house. The building itself was torn down in 1748 and its place is now occupied by the North London Collegiate School.