2 as above 3 as above (added by George Bailey, pupil then assistant 1806-37, curator 1837-60)

• 1-3 datable to November 1791

(1) Pen, raw umber, green, light blue and black washes on laid paper (302 x 474) (2) pen, raw umber, green, light blue and black washes, shaded within a single-ruled border on laid paper (317 x 470) (3) pen, warm sepia, green and black washes, shaded on laid paper (315 x 434)

1-3 Thomas Chawner (pupil 1788-94)

1-3 J Whatman

Soane published a design for Chilton Lodge in his Sketches in architecture, containing plans and elevations of cottages, villas and other useful buildings, 1793, plates XVI-VIII. The published (stretched-H) plans have solid black lines that define the middle range of the 'Principal Floor' and 'Chamber Floor' with their reception rooms and bedrooms. The office wings on each side are hatched on both plans but more lightly for the first or chamber floor. The explanation is that the upper floors were optional and, in fact, do not appear on the elevations. In the text to the plates Soane wrote that 'The space occupied by the upper part of the offices ... might easily be formed into a gallery 18 feet wide and 42 feet long...'. Soane also wrote (of the 'Entrance Front ... now building') that 'As most of the materials were furnished from the buildings pulled down, the adoption of certain forms and dimensions did not always depend on the wish of the architect, particularly in the portico'.
While drawings 1-3 are close to the published designs with their single-storey office wings, the detailing of the pedimented windows (drawings 1 and 3) is different. Drawing 4 (q.v.) details these windows in a way that corresponds with the published design (plate XVIII).
Soane exhibited 'a [that is, perspective] view of Chilton Lodge' at the Royal Academy in 1792. The perspective of the entrance front (drawing 2) when compared with that for the garden front (drawing 3) is yellowed at the edges which could indicate that it was framed and hung at one time. In fact the office Day Book has (10 November 1791) Thomas Chawner's entry: 'Drawing fair perspective / view of M^r Morland's / house at Chilton' so the rather clumsy perspectives together with the elevation are his. A characteristic of Chawner's draughtsmanship are the window voids washed in a streaky black - present on all three drawings.
In the SM information files is a photograph of an undated plan with elevation at the Courtauld Institute (Conway Neg. L12/19 (33, 34) of lot no. 77 sold at Christie's 30 November 1983 which corresponds with the published plan and entrance elevation (plates XVI-XVII). The drawing is in Soane's hand and is signed John Soane / New Scotland Yard / June 21 [? 1791].

Drawing

Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation

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