Colen Campbell: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 09:23, 19 June 2019

1676-1729. Scottish Architect known for his Neo-Palladian Architecture and Vitruvius Britannicus.

Eldest of four children. In 1700, Colen Campbell was a lawyer in Edinburgh. After the Act of Union in 1707, Campbell switched professions and became an architect. The first building that is attributed to him is Shawfield Mansion in Glasgow, which was finished in 1712.

Relocating to England, Campbell became famous for the classic-inspired architecture of Wanstead House, Essex in 1714, which belonged to Sir Richard Child (later Viscount Castlemaine). The classic-inspired Neo-Palladian style (referring to the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio) was coined by different features such as decorations in a reduced and antique-like appearance. Campbell was finally established as an architect in 1719 when Richard Boyle, third earl of Burlington, hired him to transform his residence in Piccadilly into a Neo-Palladian house.

Campbell is named author of Vitruvius Britannicus, first published in 1715, a collection of influential and important buildings in Britain. The idea stems from a few booksellers and printers, who hired Campbell as an editor for their project. Campbell is also the writer of the introduction, and the explanatory comments to each of the buildings that are shown. In the second volume, published in 1717, and in the third Volume, published in 1725, Campbell added pictures and drawings of his own architectural visions, some of finished houses, some of designs which were not yet realized, as a means of self-promotion. These were sometimes devoted to influential British politicians to foster the rise of Neo-Palladianism. Among them were for example King George I, to whom the first volume was dedicated, and Sir Robert Walpole. 692 people were subscribed to Vitruvius, mostly nobles and even five royals, in 1725.

Campbell also fulfilled other posts and professions. These include Chief Clerk and Deputy Surveyor-General in 1718, architect to George Augustus, Prince of Wales in 1719, and Surveyor of Greenwich Hospital in 1726. Campbell also worked on another literary project and published a part of Quattro Libri, a book by Andrea Palladio, in Britain in 1728. A year later a translated and edited version appeared under the name The Five Orders of Architecture, now including illustrations and plans from Campbell himself.

Campbell died in September 1729. His burial place is located in the south cloister of Westminster Abbey. Due to the absence of a gravestone or a monument the exact location of his grave is unknown. A single verified portrait of Campbell is shown in Compton Place, Sussex.

In 1966 a great amount of his illustrations reemerged, enlightening scholars about his designs and his influences.

Buildings (abbreviated overview):

Shawfield Mansion, Glasgow, 1712

Wanstead House, Essex, 1714

Burlington House, London, 1717

Stourhead, Wiltshire, 1721 to 1724

Pembroke House, Whitehall, London, 1723

Houghton Hall, Norfolk, 1722

Mereworth Castle, Kent, 1722

Waverley Abbey House, Surrey, approx. 1723

Plumptre House, Nottingham, 1724

Compton Place, Eastbourne, Sussex, 1726

Sources:

"Colen Campbell." Westminster Abbey, https://www.westminster-abbey.org/de/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/colen-campbell . Accessed 17 Jun. 2019.

Connor, T. P. “Campbell, Colen, of Boghole and Urchany (1676-1729)”, in: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2010. https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-4485?rskey=C7jz8m&result=1 . Accessed 16 Jun. 2019.

Curl, James Stevens and Susan Wilson. “Campbell, Colen”, in: A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2015, online. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199674985.001.0001/acref-9780199674985-e-801?rskey=AarmDj&result=3 . Accessed 16 Jun. 2019.

"Palladianism." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 17 May. 2016. https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Palladianism/58116. Accessed 16 Jun. 2019.

Summerson, John. Architecture in Britain: 1530 to 1830. Harmondsworth, Middlesex and others: Penguin 1963.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
--1729. Scottish architect. Author of ''Vitruvius Britannicus'' (1715-1725).
+-1729. Scottish Architect known for his [[Palladianism|Neo-Palladian]] Architecture and ''Vitruvius Britannicus''.
-Colen Campbell (1676-1729) is a Scottish Architect who is known for his Neo-Palladian Architecture and his work ''Vitruvius Britannicus''.
+Eldest of four children. In 1700, Colen Campbell was a lawyer in Edinburgh. After the [[Act of Union (1707)|Act of Union]] in 1707, Campbell switched professions and became an architect. The first building that is attributed to him is Shawfield Mansion in Glasgow, which was finished in 1712.
-His parents Elizabeth and Donald Campbell, who was the laird of Boghole and Urchany, had four children, of which Colen was the eldest. In 1700, Colen Campbell was active as a lawyer in Edinburgh. After the Act of Union, Colen Campbell switched professions and became an architect. The first building that is attributed to Campbell is Shawfield Mansion in Glasgow, which was finished in 1712. Details about his architectural studies, i.e. how he became an architect, where he was active before, who were his first teachers, etc. are mostly unknown.
-Relocating to England, Campbell became famous for the architecture of Wanstead House, Essex. This house, belonging to Sir Richard Child (later the Viscount Castlemaine), was designed in a new style. Whereas the previously style created stately buildings, the new house had a style with different features such as decorations in a reduced and antique appearance, hinting at the influence of classical buildings and antique culture.
+Relocating to England, Campbell became famous for the classic-inspired architecture of Wanstead House, Essex in 1714, which belonged to Sir Richard Child (later Viscount Castlemaine). The classic-inspired Neo-Palladian style (referring to the Italian [[Renaissance]] architect [[Andrea Palladio]]) was coined by different features such as decorations in a reduced and antique-like appearance. Campbell was finally established as an architect in 1719 when [[Richard Boyle]], third earl of Burlington, hired him to transform his residence in Piccadilly into a Neo-Palladian house.
-The ''Vitruvius Britannicus'', first published in 1715 by Campbell, is a collection of influential and important buildings of either private or public possession in Britain. The idea stems from a group of booksellers and printers, who hired Campbell as the editor for their project. Campbell seemed to be eager to participate, since he is not only named the author of the book, but also wrote the introduction, and the explanatory comments to each of the buildings that are shown in the ''Vitruvius''. Campbell used this project as a means of self-promotion.  In the second volume, published in 1717, and in the third Volume, published in 1725, Campbell added pictures and drawings of his own architectural visions, some of finished houses, some of designs which were not yet realised. Sometimes he devoted those pictures to influential British Politicians in order foster the rise of Neo-Palladianism, the new classic-inspired architectural style. Among those were for example King George I, to whom the first volume of the ''Vitruvius'' was dedicated, and Sir Robert Walpole.  As being a book by subscription, the ''Vitruvius'' was subscribed by 692 people, mostly nobles and even five royals, in 1725.
+Campbell is named author of ''Vitruvius Britannicus'', first published in 1715, a collection of influential and important buildings in Britain. The idea stems from a few booksellers and printers, who hired Campbell as an editor for their project. Campbell is also the writer of the introduction, and the explanatory comments to each of the buildings that are shown. In the second volume, published in 1717, and in the third Volume, published in 1725, Campbell added pictures and drawings of his own architectural visions, some of finished houses, some of designs which were not yet realized, as a means of self-promotion. These were sometimes devoted to influential British politicians to foster the rise of Neo-Palladianism. Among them were for example King [[George I]], to whom the first volume was dedicated, and Sir [[Robert Walpole]].  692 people were subscribed to ''Vitruvius'', mostly nobles and even five royals, in 1725.
-Besides being involved in the ''Vitruvius''-Project, Campbell fulfilled other posts and professions. These include Chief Clerk and Deputy Surveyor-General in 1718, architect to George Augustus, Prince of Wales in 1719, and Surveyor of Greenwhich Hospital in 1726. However, he was able to work on his architectural designs as well, for example when Richard Boyle, third earl of Burlington, hired Campbell to transform his residence into a Neo-Palladian house. This turned out to be a great chance for him to increase his popularity and to establish himself as an architect. In addition to that, Campbell worked on another literary project, namely being publisher of a part of ''Quattro Libri'', a book by Andrea Palladio, the renaissance architect that had such a great influence upon him, in Britain in 1728.  A year later, a translated and edited version appeared under the name ''The Five Orders of Architecture'', now including illustrations and plans from Campbell himself.
+Campbell also fulfilled other posts and professions. These include Chief Clerk and Deputy Surveyor-General in 1718, architect to [[George II|George Augustus]], Prince of Wales in 1719, and Surveyor of Greenwich Hospital in 1726. Campbell also worked on another literary project and published a part of ''Quattro Libri'', a book by Andrea Palladio, in Britain in 1728.  A year later a translated and edited version appeared under the name ''The Five Orders of Architecture'', now including illustrations and plans from Campbell himself.
-Campbell died in September of the same year. His burial place is located in the south cloister of Westminster Abbey, London, however, due to the absence of a gravestone or a monument it is hard to locate his exact grave. His appearance, too, remains a bit of a mystery: a single portrait, incorporated in Compton Place in Sussex, is verified as a portrait of Colen Campbell.
+Campbell died in September 1729. His burial place is located in the south cloister of [[Westminster Abbey]]. Due to the absence of a gravestone or a monument the exact location of his grave is unknown.  A single verified portrait of Campbell is shown in Compton Place, Sussex.
-In the following years, he became more or less forgotten or simply connected to the Vitruvius Britannicus. However, in 1966 a great amount of his illustrations reemerged, enlightening scholars about his designs.
-'''Buildings (overview):'''
+In 1966 a great amount of his illustrations reemerged, enlightening scholars about his designs and his influences.
-Wanstead House, Essex, 1714
+'''Buildings (abbreviated overview):'''
+Shawfield Mansion, Glasgow, 1712
+Wanstead House, Essex, 1714
 Burlington House, London, 1717
 Stourhead, Wiltshire, 1721 to 1724
 Pembroke House, Whitehall, London, 1723
+Houghton Hall, Norfolk, 1722
-Houghton Hall, Norfolk, 1722
+Mereworth Castle, Kent, 1722
-Mereworth Castle, Kent, 1722
+Waverley Abbey House, Surrey, approx. 1723
-Waverley Abbey House, Surrey, approx. 1723
+Plumptre House, Nottingham, 1724
 Compton Place, Eastbourne, Sussex, 1726
 '''Sources:'''
 "Colen Campbell." ''Westminster Abbey'', https://www.westminster-abbey.org/de/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/colen-campbell . Accessed 17 Jun. 2019.
 Connor, T. P. “Campbell, Colen, of Boghole and Urchany (1676-1729)”, in: ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2010. https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-4485?rskey=C7jz8m&result=1 . Accessed 16 Jun. 2019.
 Curl, James Stevens and Susan Wilson. “Campbell, Colen”, in: ''A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture''. 3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2015, online. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199674985.001.0001/acref-9780199674985-e-801?rskey=AarmDj&result=3 . Accessed 16 Jun. 2019.
 "Palladianism." ''Britannica Academic'', Encyclopædia Britannica, 17 May. 2016. https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Palladianism/58116. Accessed 16 Jun. 2019.
 Summerson, John. ''Architecture in Britain: 1530 to 1830''. Harmondsworth, Middlesex and others: Penguin 1963.