William Kent 1685-1748

William Kent, architect, painter, garden and furniture designer, was renowned for the introduction of the Palladian style to England during the mid 18th century. Much like his later admirer Robert Adam, he believed in the unity of all ‘design’ aspects combining to produce a finished whole.

A Grand Tour of Rome and northern Italy hugely inspired both William Kent and his main patron, Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington.  Kent spent ten years in Italy, and was particularly enthused by the work of 16^th century Italian architect Andrea Palladio and his Villa Rotunda, just outside Vicenza.

Following his return to England in 1719, Kent’s aristocratic connections and aesthetics resulted in a rise in prominence; particularly through the royal architectural establishment, the Board of Works.  He continued to draw inspiration from his travels, alongside the drawing libraries of his friend John Talman.  Although documented commissions and surviving designs are rare, we know through records and inventories that Kent worked on the interior of Kensington Palace, Whitehall, and private houses such as Badminton and Stowe.

Bold carving, gadrooning, symbolic motif like the Venus shell as well as the architectural features, were all part of his design repertoire.  Whilst most of these were in William Kent’s capacity as an architect and landscape gardener, the expressed classicism found its way so readily into his furniture design.