William Burges (1827–1881) was an English architect, born in London. He trained under Edward Blore and Matthew Digby Wyatt. As well as buildings, Burges was a noted designer of furniture. His Great Bookcase has been described as "the most important example of Victorian painted furniture ever made".[a][2]
The list attempts to detail the most notable of Burges’s individual pieces of furniture, with their original locations, their dates of construction and their current locations where known. Some significant schemes of Burges furniture are, in essence, entire room fittings, such as the library at Cardiff Castle, and listings of these have not been attempted.
Name | Original location | Photograph | Date | Notes | Present location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Bacchus sideboard | 1858 | In the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.William Burges, “Saint Bacchus” sideboard, 1858, stained, painted, and gilded wood with marble and iron mounts. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. M.E. Cunningham, F82.50 | Detroit Institute of Arts[3] | ||
Architecture Cabinet | The Tower House, Library | 1858 | originally at Buckingham Street[4] |
Present location unknown.[4] | |
Yatman Cabinet | 1858 | For the Rev. H. G. Yatman[4] | Victoria and Albert Museum[5] | ||
Flax and Wool Cabinet | 1858 | For the Rev. H. G. Yatman[4] | Private collection[4] | ||
Wheel of Fortune table | Treverbyn Vean | 1858-59 | for Col. C. L. Somers Cocks | Private collection[4] | |
Sideboard and wine cabinet, also known as the Mirrored Buffet | 1859[4] | Sold at Vost's Auctioneers, Newmarket, England in 1999.[6] | Art Institute of Chicago[7] | ||
Wines and Beers sideboard | 1859 | For James Nicholson | Victoria and Albert Museum[8] | ||
Great Bookcase | The Tower House, Library | 1859–62 | originally at Buckingham Street | Ashmolean Museum, Oxford[2] | |
Flax and Wool wardrobe | Buckingham Street | 1859, 1870 | Private collection.[9] | ||
Taylor bookcase | 1862 | The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford[10] | |||
Dante Bookcase | The Tower House, Armoury | 1862-1869 | originally at Buckingham Street | Present location unknown.[10] | |
Chest of drawers | The Tower House | c.1865 | Originally at Buckingham Street | Present location unknown | |
Chest of drawers with stand | The Tower House, Burges's bedroom | 1865 | originally at Buckingham Street | Manchester City Art Gallery[11][12][13] | |
The Red Bed | The Tower House, Burges's bedroom | 1865-1867 | The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford[12] | ||
Narcissus washstand | The Tower House, Burges's bedroom | 1865–1867 | The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford[12] | ||
Crocker Dressing Table | The Tower House, Burges's bedroom | 1867 | The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford[12] | ||
The Clock cabinet (escritoire) | 1867 | Manchester City Art Gallery[11][13] | |||
Side Table | The Tower House | 1867 | Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery[12] | ||
Side Table | The Tower House | 1867 | Lotherton Hall[12] | ||
Escritoire | The Tower House, Drawing room | 1867-1868 | Present location unknown.[13] | ||
Dog Cabinet | The Tower House, Day nursery | 1869 | Present location unknown.[14] | ||
Zodiac settle | The Tower House, Drawing room | 1869–1873 | The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford[12][15] | ||
Peacock Cabinet | The Tower House, Drawing room | 1873 | Private British collection[12] | ||
Alphabet Bookcases | The Tower House, Library | 1876 | In situ | ||
Cupboard doors | The Tower House, Drawing room | The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford | |||
Wardrobe | The Tower House, Burges's bedroom | Private British collection[12] | |||
Philosophy Cabinet | The Tower House, Guest bedroom | 1878–79 | Private collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber[12] | ||
Golden Bed | The Tower House, Guest bedroom | 1879 | On loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum | Knightshayes Court, Devon[16] | |
Vita Nuova Washstand | The Tower House, Guest bedroom | 1879–80 | Victoria & Albert Museum, London[17] | ||
Nursery wardrobe | The Tower House, Day nursery | The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford[18] | |||
Two chairs | The Tower House | William Morris Gallery[12] | |||
Bronze trefoil table | The Tower House, Entrance hall | 1880 | Private collection[19] |