Antique Vase of Copper in the Capitol
ca. 1750–55
Medium
Pen and ink, brush and gray wash
Dimensions
sheet: 14 1/2 x 21 1/2 in. (36.8 x 54.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1934
Accession Number
34.78.2(59)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-18th century, architect Sir William Chambers created this meticulous drawing, *Antique Vase of Copper in Capitol* (ca. 1750–55), capturing a classical antiquity likely housed in Rome's Capitoline Museums. Chambers, a leading figure in neoclassicism a pioneer of English Palladian architecture, sketched during his formative Grand Tour travels across Europe and Asia. These journeys fueled his passion for ancient forms, which he later incorporated into grand projects like Somerset House in London. Rendered in pen and ink with brush and gray wash on a generous 14½ × 21½-inch sheet, the ...
About the Artist
Sir William Chambers · 1723–1796
### Sir William Chambers (1723–1796) Born on 23 February 1723 in Gothenburg, Sweden, to parents of Scottish descent—his father a merchant—Sir William Chambers embarked on an extraordinary path that bridged continents and cultures. At just 16, after initial education in England, he joined the Swedish East India Company, undertaking three voyages to China in the 1740s. These journeys profoundly sha...