William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect,

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manageme ...

, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became

Principal Painter in Ordinary The title of Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King or Queen of England or, later, Great Britain, was awarded to a number of artists, nearly all mainly portraitists. It was different from the role of Serjeant Painter, and similar to the earlie ...

court painter A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or princely family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Painters were the most common, but the cour ...

, but his real talent was for design in various media. Kent introduced the

Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

style of architecture into England with the villa at

Chiswick House Chiswick House is a Neo-Palladian style villa in the Chiswick district of London, England. A "glorious" example of Neo-Palladian architecture in west London, the house was designed and built by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694–1753 ...

, and also originated the 'natural' style of gardening known as the

English landscape garden The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (french: Jardin à l'anglaise, it, Giardino all'inglese, german: Englischer Landschaftsgarten, pt, Jardim inglês, es, Jardín inglés), is a sty ...

at Chiswick,

Stowe Gardens Stowe or Stowe Gardens, formerly Stowe Landscape Gardens, are extensive, Grade I listed gardens and parkland in Buckinghamshire, England. Largely created in the eighteenth century the gardens at Stowe are arguably the most significant example ...

in Buckinghamshire, and

Rousham House Rousham House (also known as Rousham Park) is a English country house, country house at Rousham in Oxfordshire, England. The house, which has been continuously in the ownership of one family, was built circa 1635 and remodelled by William Kent in t ...

in Oxfordshire. As a landscape gardener he revolutionised the layout of estates, but had limited knowledge of horticulture. He complemented his houses and gardens with stately furniture for major buildings including

Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...

, Chiswick House,

Devonshire House Devonshire House in Piccadilly, was the London townhouse of the Dukes of Devonshire during the 18th and 19th centuries. Following a fire in 1733 it was rebuilt by William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, in the Palladian style, to designs ...

and Rousham.

Early life

Kent was born in

Bridlington Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 Cen ...

East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...

, and baptised on 1 January 1686, as William Cant. His parents were William and Esther Cant (née Shimmings). Kent's career began as a sign and coach painter, and he was encouraged to study art, design and architecture by his employer. A group of Yorkshire gentlemen sent Kent for a period of study in Rome, and he set sail on 22 July 1709 from

Deal, Kent Deal is a coastal town in Kent, England, which lies where the North Sea and the English Channel meet, north-east of Dover and south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town whose history is closely linked to the anchora ...

, arriving at

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

on 15 October. By 18 November he was in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, staying there until April 1710 before finally setting off for Rome. In 1713 he was awarded the second medal in the second class for painting in the annual competition run by the

Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fir ...

for his painting of ''A Miracle of S. Andrea Avellino''. He also met several important figures including Thomas Coke, later 1st Earl of Leicester, with whom he toured Northern Italy in the summer of 1714 (a tour that led Kent to an appreciation of the architectural style of

Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...

's palaces in

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a th ...

), and Cardinal

Pietro Ottoboni Pope Alexander VIII ( it, Alessandro VIII; 22 April 1610 – 1 February 1691), born Pietro Vito Ottoboni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 1689 to his death in February 1691. He is to date the las ...

in Rome, for whom he apparently painted some pictures, though no records survive. During his stay in Rome, he painted the ceiling of the church of San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi (

Church of St. Julian of the Flemings The Church of St. Julian of the Flemings ( it, Chiesa di S. Giuliano dei Fiamminghi, nl, Sint-Juliaan-der-Vlamingen, french: Saint-Julien des Flamands, la, S. Iuliani Flandrensium) is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Julian the Hospit ...

) with the ''Apotheosis of St. Julian''. The most significant meeting was between Kent and

Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington and 4th Earl of Cork, (25 April 1694 – 4 December 1753) was a British architect and noble often called the "Apollo of the Arts" and the "Architect Earl". The son of the 2nd Earl of Burlington and 3rd Ea ...

. Kent left Rome for the last time in the autumn of 1719, met Lord Burlington briefly at

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

, Kent journeying on to Paris, where Lord Burlington later joined him for the final journey back to England before the end of the year.Clegg, 1995. p. 46 As a painter, he displaced Sir

James Thornhill Sir James Thornhill (25 July 1675 or 1676 – 4 May 1734) was an English painter of historical subjects working in the Italian baroque tradition. He was responsible for some large-scale schemes of murals, including the "Painted Hall" at the ...

in decorating the new staterooms at

Kensington Palace Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official L ...

, London; for Burlington, he helped to decorate

, especially the painted ceilings, and

Burlington House Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. It was originally a private Neo-Palladian mansion owned by the Earls of Burlington and was expanded in the mid-19th century after being purchased by the British government. Toda ...

Architectural works

Kent started practising as an architect relatively late in life, in the 1730s. He is remembered as an architect of the revived

style in England. Burlington gave him the task of editing ''The Designs of

Inigo Jones Inigo Jones (; 15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652) was the first significant architect in England and Wales in the early modern period, and the first to employ Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmetry in his buildings. As the most notable archit ...

...'' with some additional designs in the Palladian/Jonesian taste by Burlington and Kent, which appeared in 1727. As he rose through the royal architectural establishment, the Board of Works, Kent applied this style to several public buildings in London, for which Burlington's patronage secured him the commissions: the

Royal Mews The Royal Mews is a mews, or collection of equestrian stables, of the British Royal Family. In London these stables and stable-hands' quarters have occupied two main sites in turn, being located at first on the north side of Charing Cross, an ...

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...

(1731–33, demolished in 1830), the Treasury buildings in

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...

(1733–37), and the Horse Guards building in Whitehall (designed shortly before his death and built 1750–1759). These neo-antique buildings were inspired as much by the architecture of

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

and

Giulio Romano Giulio Romano (, ; – 1 November 1546), is the acquired name of Giulio Pippi, who was an Italian painter and architect. He was a pupil of Raphael, and his stylistic deviations from High Renaissance classicism help define the sixteenth-centu ...

as by Palladio. Holkham_Hall_South

In country house building, major commissions for Kent were designing the interiors of

Houghton Hall Houghton Hall ( ) is a country house in the parish of Houghton in Norfolk, England. It is the residence of David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley. It was commissioned by the ''de facto'' first British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walp ...

, Norfolk (c.1725–35), recently built by

Colen Campbell Colen Campbell (15 June 1676 – 13 September 1729) was a pioneering Scottish architect and architectural writer, credited as a founder of the Georgian style. For most of his career, he resided in Italy and England. As well as his architectural ...

for Sir

Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...

, but at

Holkham Hall Holkham Hall ( or ) is an 18th-century English country house, country house near the village of Holkham, Norfolk, England, constructed in the Neo-Palladian style for the Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (fifth creation), 1st Earl of Leicester ...

(also in Norfolk) the most complete embodiment of Palladian ideals is still to be found; there Kent collaborated with Thomas Coke, the other "architect earl", and had for an assistant

Matthew Brettingham Matthew Brettingham (1699 – 19 August 1769), sometimes called Matthew Brettingham the Elder, was an 18th-century Englishman who rose from humble origins to supervise the construction of Holkham Hall, and become one of the country's best-known ...

, whose own architecture would carry Palladian ideals into the next generation. Walpole's son

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

described Kent as below mediocrity as a painter, a restorer of science as an architect and the father of modern gardening and inventor of an art. A theatrically Baroque staircase and parade rooms in London, at 44

Berkeley Square Berkeley Square is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Kent ...

, are also notable. Kent's domed pavilions were erected at

Badminton House Badminton House is a large country house and Grade I Listed Building in Badminton, Gloucestershire, England, which has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century. The house, which has given its name to th ...

(Gloucestershire) and at

Euston Hall Euston Hall is a country house, with park by William Kent and Capability Brown, located in Euston, a small village in Suffolk located just south of Thetford, England. It is the family home of the Dukes of Grafton. The Hall Euston first appears ...

(Suffolk). Kent could provide sympathetic

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

designs, free of serious antiquarian tendencies, when the context called; he worked on the Gothic screens in

Westminster Hall The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

and

Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishment of a minster dedicated to S ...

. He worked on the house at 22 Arlington Street in St. James's, a district of the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...

in central London from 1743, when it was commissioned by the newly elevated Prime Minister,

Henry Pelham Henry Pelham (25 September 1694 – 6 March 1754) was a British Whig statesman who served as 3rd Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1743 until his death in 1754. He was the younger brother of Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, who ...

. After Kent's death, the work was completed by his assistant Stephen Wright.

Landscape architect

As a landscape designer, Kent was one of the originators of the

, a style of "natural" gardening that revolutionised the laying out of gardens and estates. His projects included

Stowe, Buckinghamshire Stowe is a civil parish and former village about northwest of Buckingham in the unitary authority area of Buckinghamshire, England. The parish includes the hamlets of Boycott, Dadford and Lamport. Stowe House is a Grade I listed country hou ...

, from about 1730 onwards, designs for

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

's villa garden at

Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...

, for Queen Caroline at

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, and notably at

, Oxfordshire, where he created a sequence of Arcadian set-pieces punctuated with temples, cascades, grottoes, Palladian bridges and

exedra An exedra (plural: exedras or exedrae) is a semicircular architectural recess or platform, sometimes crowned by a semi-dome, and either set into a building's façade or free-standing. The original Greek sense (''ἐξέδρα'', a seat out of d ...

, opening the field for the larger scale achievements of

Capability Brown Lancelot Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English gardener and landscape architect, who remains the most famous figure in the history of the English la ...

in the following generation. Smaller Kent works can be found at

Shotover Park Shotover Park (also called Shotover House) is an 18th-century country house and park near Wheatley, Oxfordshire, England. The house, garden and parkland are Grade I-listed with English Heritage, and 18 additional structures on the property are al ...

, Oxfordshire, including a faux Gothic eyecatcher and a domed pavilion. His all-but-lost gardens at Claremont, Surrey, have recently been restored. It is said that he was not above planting dead trees to create the mood he required. Kent's only downfall was said to be his lack of horticultural knowledge and technical skill (compared to those such as

Charles Bridgeman Charles Bridgeman (1690–1738) was an English garden designer who helped pioneer the naturalistic landscape style. Although he was a key figure in the transition of English garden design from the Anglo-Dutch formality of patterned parterres an ...

, whose impact on Kent is often underestimated). Nevertheless, his naturalistic style of design was his major contribution to the history of landscape design. Claremont, Stowe, and Rousham are places where their joint efforts can be viewed. Stowe and Rousham are Kent's most famous works. At the latter, Kent elaborated on Bridgeman's 1720s design for the property, adding walls and arches to catch the viewer's eye. At Stowe, Kent used his Italian experience, particularly with the Palladian Bridge. At both sites Kent incorporated his naturalistic approach.

Furniture designer

His stately furniture designs complemented his interiors: he designed furnishings for

(1732), Lord Burlington's

(1729), London, Thomas Coke's

, Norfolk, Robert Walpole's pile at

Houghton Houghton may refer to: Places Australia * Houghton, South Australia, a town near Adelaide * Houghton Highway, the longest bridge in Australia, between Redcliffe and Brisbane in Queensland * Houghton Island (Queensland) Canada * Houghton Townshi ...

, for

in London, and at Rousham. The

royal barge A royal barge is a ceremonial barge that is used by a monarch for processions and transport on a body of water. Royal barges are currently used in monarchies such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and Thailand. Traditionally the use of royal barges w ...

he designed for

Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales, (Frederick Louis, ; 31 January 170731 March 1751), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen Caroline. Frederick was the fath ...

can be seen at the

National Maritime Museum The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United ...

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

. In his own age, Kent's fame and popularity were so great that he was employed to give designs for all things, even for ladies' birthday dresses, of which he could know nothing and which he decorated with the five

classical order An order in architecture is a certain assemblage of parts subject to uniform established proportions, regulated by the office that each part has to perform. Coming down to the present from Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman civilization, the arch ...

s of architecture. These and other absurdities drew upon him the satire of

William Hogarth William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraver, pictorial satirist, social critic, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. His work ranges from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like s ...

who, in October 1725, produced a ''Burlesque on Kent's Altarpiece at St. Clement Danes''.

Walpole tribute

According to

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician. He had Strawb ...

, Kent "was a painter, an architect, and the father of modern gardening. In the first character he was below mediocrity; in the second, he was a restorer of the science; in the last, an original, and the inventor of an art that realizes painting and improves nature. Mahomet imagined an Elysium, Kent created many."

List of works

Domestic work

Wanstead House Wanstead House was a mansion built to replace the earlier Wanstead Hall. It was commissioned in 1715, completed in 1722 and demolished in 1825. Its gardens now form the municipal Wanstead Park in the London Borough of Redbridge. History Construct ...

(designed by

), interior decoration (1721–24) *

, London, interior decoration (c.1727) *

, London, interiors and furniture (c.1726–29) *

, interiors and furniture (c.1726–31) & stables (c.1733-5) *

Ditchley Ditchley Park is a country house near Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England. The estate was once the site of a Roman villa. Later it became a royal hunting ground, and then the property of Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley. The 2nd Earl of Lichfield buil ...

, Oxfordshire (designed by

James Gibbs James Gibbs (23 December 1682 – 5 August 1754) was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Aberdeen, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England. He is an important figure whose work spanned the transi ...

), interiors (c.1726) *

Sherborne House, Gloucestershire Sherborne House is a large house in the village of Sherborne, Gloucestershire, England. It is a former country house that has been converted into flats and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. The D ...

, furniture designs (1728) *

Stowe House Stowe House is a grade I listed country house in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is the home of Stowe School, an independent school and is owned by the Stowe House Preservation Trust who have to date (March 2013) spent more than £25m on th ...

, interiors and garden buildings (c.1730 to 1748) *

's Villa, designs for garden buildings (c.1730) demolished *Richmond Gardens, garden buildings 1730–35, demolished *

Stanwick Park Stanwick Park (also known as Stanwick Hall) was a Palladian country house at Stanwick St John in North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an are ...

(ascribed), remodelled and interiors (c.1730–40) *

Raynham Hall Raynham Hall is a country house in Norfolk, England. For nearly 400 years it has been the seat of the Townshend family. The hall gave its name to the five estate villages, known as The Raynhams, and is reported to be haunted, providing the scene ...

, interiors and furniture (c.1731) *Kew House (1731–35), demolished 1802 *

Esher Place Esher Place is a Grade-II listed country house, since 1953 used as a college by the trade union Unite, in Esher, Surrey, United Kingdom. The building is at least the fourth on approximately the same site and mainly dates to the 1890s. It incor ...

, the wings (c.1733), demolished * Shotover House, Obelisk, Octagonal & Gothic temples (1733) *

, with

Earl of Burlington Earl of Burlington is a title that has been created twice, the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 and the second in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1831. Since 1858, Earl of Burlington has been a courtesy title used by the d ...

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. Early creations ...

executed by

(1734–1765) *

including furniture (1734–35), demolished 1924–5 *

Easton Neston Easton Neston is situated in south Northamptonshire, England. Though the village of Easton Neston which was inhabited until around 1500 is now gone, the parish retains the name. At the 2011 Census the population of the civil parish remained le ...

, designed fireplaces (1735) *

Aske Hall Aske Hall is a Georgian country house, with parkland attributed to Capability Brown, north of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It contains an impressive collection of 18th-century furniture, paintings and porcelain, and in its grounds a John ...

(ascribed), Gothic temple (1735) * Claremont Garden, garden buildings (1738), only the domed temple on the island in the lake survives *

, addition of wings and landscaping of the gardens & garden buildings (1738–41) *

, remodelling of the north front, interiors (c.1746–1748) *Worcester Lodge at Badminton House, including interior plasterwork (1746) *22 Arlington Street, London (1741–50), completed after Kent's death by Stephen Wright * 44 Berkeley Square, London (1742–44) *16 St. James Place, London early (1740s) demolished 1899–1900 *

Oatlands Palace Oatlands Palace is a former Tudor and Stuart royal palace which took the place of the former manor of the village of Oatlands near Weybridge, Surrey. Little remains of the original building, so excavations of the palace took place in 1964 to ...

, garden building (c.1745), demolished *

, Suffolk (1746) *Wakefield Lodge, Northamptonshire (c.1748–50) File:Temple of Venus, Stowe Landscape Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 837211.jpg, Temple of Venus, Stowe File:Temple_of_British_Worthies.jpg, Temple of British Worthies, Stowe File:The Temple of Ancient Virtue, Stowe - geograph.org.uk - 835439.jpg, The Temple of Ancient Virtue, Stowe File:Holkham Hall 20080717-01.jpg, Holkham Hall, North Front File:Holkham Hall 20080717-03.jpg, Holkham Hall, Marble Hall File:Obelisk, Holkham Hall - geograph.org.uk - 206887.jpg, Obelisk, Holkham Hall File:Triumphal Arch, Holkham Park geograph.org.uk-2530541.jpg, Triumphal Arch, Holkham Hall File:Badminton House.jpg, Badminton House File:Worcester Lodge, Badminton (geograph 2489135).jpg, Worcester Lodge, Badminton House File:View of Gallery at Chiswick House.JPG, Chiswick House, The Gallery File:The coffered ceiling in the Domed Hall.jpg, Dome of saloon, Chiswick House File:View of Upper Tribune from Portico.JPG, Saloon, Chiswick House File:Bedchamber closet.jpg, Bedroom, Chiswick House File:Chiswick Table.JPG, Chiswick House table File:The ceiling of the Blue Velvet Room depicting 'Architecture' with her helpers.jpg, Chiswick House, ceiling of Blue Velvet Room File:Chiswick House 103 cedars.JPG, Chiswick House gardens File:Chiswick House 343.JPG, Chiswick House gardens File:The Cascade, Chiswick House - geograph.org.uk - 8982.jpg, Chiswick House gardens File:Rousham House 4.jpg, Rousham Cascade File:Rousham Eyecatcher - geograph.org.uk - 77685.jpg, Eyecatcher, Rousham File:Rousham Gardens, approaching Praeneste - geograph.org.uk - 1180737.jpg, 'Praeneste', Rousham File:Houghton Hall Stableyard.jpg, Houghton Hall stableyard File:Temple at Shotover House - geograph.org.uk - 192060.jpg, Temple, Shotover House File:The Temple, Euston Park - geograph.org.uk - 219780.jpg, Temple, Euston Park File:Devonshire House from Vitruvius Britannicus edited.JPG, Devonshire House, London

Public buildings and royal commissions

Chiesa di San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi The Church of St. Julian of the Flemings ( it, Chiesa di S. Giuliano dei Fiamminghi, nl, Sint-Juliaan-der-Vlamingen, french: Saint-Julien des Flamands, la, S. Iuliani Flandrensium) is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Julian the Hospit ...

, painted ceiling (c.1717) *

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbis ...

, marble pavement (1731–35) *

(1731–33), demolished 1830 *Royal State Barge (1732) *

, gateway in Clock Court & rooms for the Duke of Cumberland (1732) *

, interiors, including Cupola Room and several murals and painted ceilings (1733–35) *former Treasury building

(1733–37) *

St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Altho ...

, the library (1736–37), demolished *

, Gothic screen enclosing law courts (1738–39), demolished c.1825 *York Minster, Gothic pulpit and choir furniture (1741), removed *

, Gothic choir-screen (1741), removed 1820 * Horse Guards (1750–59) File:Rome William Kent Sint-Juliaan.jpg, Painted Ceiling Chiesa di San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi Rome, ''The Apotheosis of St Julian'' 1717 File:Royal Stables in the Mews, Charing Cross. Etching by Cook, 1793.jpg, Royal Mews File:Horse guards 2004.jpg, Horse Guards File:Horse Guards Building - 20090803.jpg, Horse Guards File:Horse guards Whitehall.jpg, Horse Guards File:Horse Guards 1750.jpg, Plan, Horse Guards File:Parade at Horseguards.jpg, Horse Guards Parade, Kent's Treasury is the stone building just beyond the Horse Guards building File:Cabinet Office and the back of Downing Street - geograph.org.uk - 379877.jpg, Former Treasury Building, on left File:Hampton Court Avri 2009 79.jpg, Gateway (on right), Clock Court, Hampton Court Palace File:Kensington Palace Cupola Room.jpg, Kensington Palace Cupola Room File:Cupola Room at Kensington Palace. SUTHERLAND, Thomas (b. 1785) after Richard CATTERMOLE (1795-1858).jpg, Kensington Palace Cupola Room File:Pyne PresenceChamber KensingtonPalace edited.jpg, painted ceiling, Presence Chamber, Kensington Palace File:PyneGreatStaircase KensingtonPalace edited.jpg, mural & ceiling, Great Staircase, Kensington Palace File:Westminster Hall edited.jpg, Westminster Hall, with Kent's screen in place File:York York minster choir area 004.JPG, Choir York Minster, showing Kent's black & white marble floor

Church memorials

Chester Cathedral Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Sain ...

, to John & Thomas Wainwright *

Henry VII Lady Chapel The Henry VII Lady Chapel, now more often known just as the Henry VII Chapel, is a large Lady chapel at the far eastern end of Westminster Abbey, paid for by the will of King Henry VII. It is separated from the rest of the abbey by brass gates a ...

, to

George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle JP KG PC (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was cru ...

(1730) *York Minster, to Thomas Watson Wentworth (1731) *

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

to Sir

Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...

, sculpted by

John Michael Rysbrack Johannes Michel or John Michael Rysbrack, original name Jan Michiel Rijsbrack, often referred to simply as Michael Rysbrack (24 June 1694 – 8 January 1770), was an 18th-century Flemish sculptor, who spent most of his career in England where h ...

(1731) *

Kirkthorpe Kirkthorpe is a village within the City of Wakefield, City of Wakefield metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It lies east of the city centre. Toponymy The name "Kirkthorpe" means "outlying or secondary hamlet or farmstead with a c ...

church, to Thomas & Catherine Stringer (1731–32) *

Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace (pronounced ) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non- episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, on ...

Chapel, to

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reign ...

, sculpted by John Michael Rysbrack (1733) *Westminster Abbey, to

James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope (c. 16735 February 1721) was a British soldier, diplomat and statesman who effectively served as Chief Minister between 1717 and 1721. He is also the last Chancellor of the Exchequer to sit in the House of Lor ...

(1733) *Westminster Abbey, to

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, sculpted by

Peter Scheemakers Peter Scheemakers or Pieter Scheemaeckers II or the Younger (10 January 1691 – 12 September 1781) was a Flemish sculptor who worked for most of his life in London. His public and church sculptures in a classicist style had an important influenc ...

(1740) *

Ashby-de-la-Zouch Ashby-de-la-Zouch, sometimes spelt Ashby de la Zouch () and shortened locally to Ashby, is a market town and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. The town is near to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire ...

, to

Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon (12 November 1696 – 13 October 1746) was the son of Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon and Mary Frances Fowler. Hastings married Lady Selina Shirley, daughter of Washington Shirley, 2nd Earl ...

(1746) File:Blenheim Palace IMG 3675.JPG, Chapel, Blenheim Palace, Marlborough tomb on right File:Isaac Newton grave in Westminster Abbey.jpg, Sir Isaac Newton's memorial, Westminster Abbey File:Memorials in Poets Corner (2013).jpg, Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey, with the Shakespeare memorial

References

Citations

Sources

* Chaney, Edward (2000) ''The Evolution of the Grand Tour: Anglo-Italian Cultural Relations since the Renaissance'', 2nd ed., 2000. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_evolution_of_the_grand_tour.html?id=rYB_HYPsa8gC * * Colvin, Howard, (1995) ''A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600–1840''. 3rd ed., 1995, ''s.v.'' "Kent, William" * Hunt, John Dixon, (1986; 1996) ''Garden and Grove: The Italian Renaissance Garden in the English Imagination, 1600–1750'', London, Dent; London and Philadelphia. * Hunt, John Dixon, (1987) ''William Kent, Landscape garden designer: An Assessment and Catalogue of his designs''. London, Zwemmer. * Jourdain, M., (1948) ''The Work of William Kent: Artist, Painter, Designer and Landscape Gardener''. London, Country Life. *

Mowl, Timothy Professor Timothy Mowl FSA (born 1951) is an architectural and landscape historian. He is Emeritus Professor of History of Architecture and Designed Landscapes at the University of Bristol. He is also Director of AHC Consultants. He was awarded th ...

, (2006) ''William Kent: Architect, Designer, Opportunist''. London, Jonathan Cape. * Newton, N., (1971) ''Design of the land''. Cambridge: Belknap Press of

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...

. * Ross, David, (2000) ''William Kent''. Britain Express, 1–2. Retrieved 26 September 2004, fro
britainexpress.com
* Rogers, E., (2001) ''Landscape design a cultural and architectural history''. New York:

Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (HNA), is an American publisher of art and illustrated books, children's books, and stationery. The enterprise is a subsidiary of the French publisher La Martinière Groupe. Run by President and CEO Michael ...

* Sicca, Cinzia Maria, (1986) "On William Kent's Roman sources", ''Architectural History'', vol. 29, 1986, pp. 134–147. * Wilson, Michael I., (1984) ''William Kent: Architect, Designer, Painter, Gardener, 1685–1748''. London, Boston, Melbourne and Henley, Routledge & Kegan Paul. .

External links

Short biography on gardenvisit.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, William 18th-century English architects English landscape architects English landscape and garden designers English furniture designers Principal Painters in Ordinary People from Bridlington 1685 births 1748 deaths British neoclassical architects Portraits of William Shakespeare Architects from Yorkshire Sustainable transport pioneers English Landscape Garden designers