Chatsworth is home to a large collection of old master drawings. This year, we are sharing a selection to complement Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth.

Sometimes artists draw for pleasure. Sometimes, it is a critical part of the creative process – developing ideas, solving problems, or preparing for larger painted works. What you see here are drawings that show the thinking required to imagine an object as a different material entirely.

Take a close look at Giulio Romano’s drawings. The natural world is translated into functional design. A tortoise becomes a lidded box; a nest of vine leaves is transformed into a fruit bowl.

Take a close look at William Kent’s drawing. Nature and artifice combine in functional design. A spiral of petals and leaves rests between the angular horizontal plane of his design for a doorframe.

Continue reading

Stay in touch with Chatsworth

Newsletter sign-up

Never miss a thing. Stay up to date with our latest news, offers and events by entering your details below:

We use a third party provider to share our email newsletters. We collect statistics, including email opens and clicks, using industry standard technologies, such as clear gifs, to help us improve our newsletter content making it more interesting and relevant. You can learn more in our privacy policy.