undertaken by another workshop. Subcontracting the basic components would have allowed the manufacturing of these objects to be speeded up. Chambers’ favoured sculptor was Joseph Wilton; they had worked together on a number of projects when they both returned to England in 1755. They first met in Italy, when they were undertaking their Grand Tour in 1754, where at this time they were living in Rome. Chambers was lodging with Giovanni Battista Piranesi and this gave him the opportunity to learn from this revolutionary architect and artist, the radical changes affecting architectural design at that period. As Piranesi’s studio was a centre for such innovative thinking, it attracted a number of artists and who milordi, were also on their Grand Tour. Wilton was a regular visitor to Piranesi’s studio and it was probably here that Chambers and Wilton’s lifelong friendship began. The quality of the carving on the three fireplaces at Danson would seem to indicate that without doubt they were the work of Joseph Wilton. It may be suggested that as part of Boyd’s design scheme for the rooms at Danson, Chambers produced drawings for three fireplaces, in particular for the fireplace in the saloon, which is the grandest as befits the main room of the house. It would seem illogical that if the landowner was involved with such a hands-on approach to commissioning paintings, mirrors, door casings and picture frames to furnish the grandest rooms in the house, that fireplace design would feature as a focal point for display of the collection’s most prized paintings. The next imposing objects in the saloon are the two carved and gilt pier mirrors, which are situated on the walls between the fireplace and the two doors, leading to the library and dining room. During the refurbishment of Danson by English Heritage in 2004, they reproduced the mirrors in the saloon; in September 2013, one of the original mirrors with a nineteenth century copy, came up for auction at Christies in London at their Fine Furniture Sale.
undertaken by another workshop. Subcontracting the basic components would have allowed the manufacturing of these objects to be speeded up. Chambers’ favoured sculptor was Joseph Wilton; they had worked together on a number of projects when they both returned to England in 1755. They first met in Italy, when they were undertaking their Grand Tour in 1754, where at this time they were living in Rome. Chambers was lodging with Giovanni Battista Piranesi and this gave him the opportunity to learn from this revolutionary architect and artist, the radical changes affecting architectural design at that period. As Piranesi’s studio was a centre for such innovative thinking, it attracted a number of artists and milordi, who were also on their Grand Tour. Wilton was a regular visitor to Piranesi’s studio and it was probably here that Chambers and Wilton’s lifelong friendship began. The quality of the carving on the three fireplaces at Danson would seem to indicate that without doubt they were the work of Joseph Wilton. It may be suggested that as part of Boyd’s design scheme for the rooms at Danson, Chambers produced drawings for three fireplaces, in particular for the fireplace in the saloon, which is the grandest as befits the main room of the house. It would seem illogical that if the landowner was involved with such a hands-on approach to commissioning paintings, mirrors, door casings and picture frames to furnish the grandest rooms in the house, that fireplace design would feature as a focal point for display of the collection’s most prized paintings. The next imposing objects in the saloon are the two carved and gilt pier mirrors, which are situated on the walls between the fireplace and the two doors, leading to the library and dining room. During the refurbishment of Danson by English Heritage in 2004, they reproduced the mirrors in the saloon; in September 2013, one of the original mirrors with a nineteenth century copy, came up for auction at Christies in London at their Fine Furniture Sale.
Tear_Paul_thesis.docx