William Talman (architect)

William Talman (1650 – 22 November 1719) was an English architect and landscape designer.

William Talman
William Talman, his son John Talman, his daughter Frances Cokayne, and his wife, Hannah Talman, by Giuseppe Grisoni, c.1718–19, NPG
Born1650
Eastcott Manor House West Lavington, Wiltshire
Died22 November 1719(1719-11-22) (aged 68–69)
Felmingham, Norfolk
OccupationArchitect
BuildingsChatsworth House
The south front of Chatsworth from Colen Campbell's Vitruvius Britannicus

Career

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A pupil of Sir Christopher Wren, in 1678, he and Thomas Apprice gained the office of King's Waiter in the Port of London (perhaps through his patron Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon). From May 1689 until William III's death in 1702, he was Comptroller of the Royal Works,[1] and also in 1689 William Bentinck appointed Talman and George London as his deputies in his new role as Superintendent of the Royal Gardens.[2] In these roles, Talman worked with Wren in his rebuilding of Hampton Court Palace and its gardens and, by proposing a cheaper interior decoration scheme for the new building, won that commission over Wren's head.[citation needed]

Works

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Talman's principal work is recognised to be Chatsworth House, considered to be the first baroque private house in Britain, and he was possibly the architect of St Anne's Church, Soho. Talman was held by many to be surly, rude and difficult to get on with. One of those who felt so was Charles Howard, who chose John Vanbrugh, not Talman, as his architect for Castle Howard (Vanburgh had also been Talman's replacement as Comptroller of the Royal Works in May 1702.)

During his long career, Talman worked on many of England's country houses. These include:[3]

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References

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  1. ^ Harris 1982, p.17.
  2. ^ Harris 1982, p.19.
  3. ^ Dates from Harris 1982.
  4. ^ Historic England (23 May 1967). "Drayton House (1040293)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  5. ^ Not listed in Harris 1982.
  6. ^ Not listed in Harris 1982.

Bibliography

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  • Harris, John, The Hampton Court Trianon Designs of William and John Talman, in Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, xxiii, 1960.
  • Harris, John, William Talman: Maverick Architect. London, Allen and Unwin. 1982. Studies in Architecture, 2.
  • Saunders, Edward, Bretby Hall, in Derbyshire Life, August 1975.
  • Whinney, M.D., William Talman, in Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, xviii, 1955.
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Court offices
Preceded by Comptroller of the King's Works
1668 – 1684
Succeeded by