| Richard Boyle, the third earl of Burlington (1694-1753), known as the "Architect Earl," was the leading figure and generating spirit behind the reintroduction of classical architecture into England during the first half of the eighteenth century. Despite his amateur status, his wealth and position permitted him to design according to his ideals, often without regard for client demands or economic restraints. His wealth allowed him to educate himself as an architect and personally study Palladio's architecture in Italy in 1719. Burlington amassed the finest collection of drawings devoted to classical architecture in England, if not in Europe. Assisted by his drawings collection and a scholarly library consisting of virtually all the published editions of treatises and texts devoted to classical architecture, he became the major advocate and primary arbiter of the Palladian phase of the classical revival in England.; Burlington's greatest architectural achievement is his work at his suburban estate at Chiswick on the Thames a short distance from London. There he designed a villa for himself, transformed the formal garden, and designed a new garden and a series of garden buildings. By documenting the building history of Chiswick, analyzing the influences, sources, and models Burlington used to create the villa, gardens, and garden buildings, and deciding how they functioned, a clear picture emerges about his architectural theory and practice that is applicable to the entire body of his work. Burlington had an art-historical attitude toward classical architecture, seeing the classical tradition as a continuum, with a direct line of descent from Jones to Palladio and, through him, to classical Rome. For Burlington, theory and practice were inseparable. There is nothing casual, perfunctory, or decorative about his handling of the orders and architectural detailing. His architecture is didactic in nature, and one of clarity and precision, with a specific place and function for each architectural member. |
