Sir George Savile’s Architectural Drawings

Abstract

AbstractThe post-medieval architectural history of Rufford Abbey, seat of the parliamentary reformer Sir George Savile (1726–84), was described for the first time by Pete Smith in the last volume of English Heritage Historical Review. After the publication of his article 22 drawings, complementary to others which his article had illustrated, were placed on the art market. The primary objective of the current article is to catalogue and illustrate these drawings. It additionally shows that certainly seven of the 22 drawings, and probably 18 of them, were drawn by the well-known architect James Gibbs (1682–1754). It also demonstrates that these 18 were made between 1747 and 1754 for Sir George Savile; that another was made between 1739 and 1743 for his father; and that three others were made some time after 1758. It thereby makes it possible to date the complementary drawings in Pete Smith’s article, unspecifically dated therein to the later 18th century.The drawings uniquely illustrate 17th-century feature...