I don’t know why I’m still getting like 11% plagiarism on this… Apparently my artwork and book titles are getting flagged despite being italicised on Turnitin?

A View of the Wilderness with the Alhambra, the Pagoda and the Mosque
Edward Rooker (British, 1724–74)
1763
Etching on paper
H. 1.24in. (3.15 cm); W. 1.86in. (4.73 cm)
Prints and Drawings, British Museum
1863,0509.281

This etching depicts the Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens, designed by Sir William Chambers (1722–96). It was featured in Chambers’ book Plans, Elevations, Sections and Perspective Views of the Gardens and Buildings at Kew in Surrey in 1763, following the completion of the gardens in 1762. The ten-storey octagonal pagoda was the tallest Chinese-style building in England at the time, towering over much of Kew Gardens at a height of 50m (164ft). It was also the most accurate of all Chinese-style buildings in Europe for its time, despite the minor error of it having an even number of storeys, where true Chinese pagodas had an odd number of storeys.

The design of the pagoda was based on Chambers’ travels to Canton, and the pagoda’s vibrancy was the talk of the town; its roofs were covered with varnished iron plates and each corner had a gilt golden dragon made of wood perched on it. A total of 80 dragons were made for the roofs but by the 1780s, were removed due to rot. This short lifespan was characteristic of many of Chambers’ work at Kew Gardens such as the House of Confucius, Alhambra and Exotic Garden, which have all subsequently been demolished. It was therefore a surprise for the public that it remained standing and even served as a site for bomb testing during the Second World War.

Author: Kimberly Ang

Always hungry. View all posts by Kimberly Ang