Seen in this order, this group of drawings can be taken as an imagined record of the excavation and restoration of Soane's ruins. The first drawing shows the ruins as initially 'discovered', 282 and 283 have hypothetical lines of arches below the ground and drawings 284 and 285 show progressively dug out and rebuilt aspects of the ruins, ending with 285 at a stage where the ruins have been excavated far enough for the tessellated courtyard pavement to become visible.

The process of 'reconstruction' is partly explained by the knowledge that Soane introduced the game of imagining the original form of his 'ruins', to his guests - a parlour game of sorts. He even recommended the process of reconstructing the fake ruins on paper to his son John, during the latter's years spent studying at Cambridge (John junior never complied with his father's suggestion).

Even in the 1830s, the reconstruction of the ruins was important to Soane on another level - as a reference point for his collection both ornamenting the house and displayed within it. Drawings 282, 283 and 285 all show roundels by Thomas Banks of 'Sol' and 'Lunar', copied from the Arch of Constantine and also used on the Lothbury Arch of the Bank of England and in the vestibule of Pitzhanger itself. Christopher Woodward suggests that 'All of these ornaments were copied from the facade of Pitshanger Manor, tempting us to wonder if he is visualising the house itself in ruin'. The house facade ornament, then, was intended to be seen as a pastiche of these fragments from the imaginary ruin reconstructions - rescued from deterioration by Soane.

Drawings 282 and 283 are dated the Day Book records that C. J. Richardson was the only one working on perspectives at that time. Given the similarity in draughtsmanship between all within this group of drawings it can safely be assumed that they are all by him.