A View of Chiswick House, 1729–31

Pieter Andreas Rysbrack (or Rijsbrack) was a Flemish painter of still lifes and landscapes. He became well known for his topographical views, of which this is a good example. Born around 1685–1690 to a landscape painter, with a younger brother who became well known as a sculptor, Rijsbrack moved to London in 1720.

He was commissioned by Lord Burlington to portray the early developments in William Kent’s famous design for the gardens of Chiswick House. Unusually, Rijsbrack was commissioned to do eight views, a sign of the great pride that Burlington felt in his Chiswick estate.

The set of paintings was put up for auction in 1951 and dispersed. English Heritage started collecting paintings of Chiswick House in 1985; this particular painting now belongs to Chatsworth, the Derbyshire home of the Devonshires, descendants of Burlington.

This picture shows the new villa, with the old house (long ago demolished) to the right, and the stables further to the right. In front horses and chickens graze.

Acknowledgement: ©Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees.