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Legal Quays and Custom House, south of Lower Thames Street, City of London, 1796
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Reference number
SM D3/7/4
Purpose
Legal Quays and Custom House, south of Lower Thames Street, City of London, 1796
Aspect
[5] Elevation
Scale
1/10 in to 1 ft
Inscribed
(panels on building) DOM / ENSTD / IMPX / and / SPL / NRMT MMDXX / ('D[eo] O[ptimo] M[aximo] / ? / Imp[eratri]x and S[enatus] P[opulusque] L[ondinensis] / ? / 2530') and some dimensions given
Signed and dated
- 1796
Medium and dimensions
Pen, sepia washes, pencil, shaded, pricked for transfer on grey laid paper later affixed to wove paper (345 x 500 on 460 x 615)
Hand
Dance
Watermark
(later wove paper) Whatman 1845
Notes
The drawing above (previously listed as a 'Royal Gallery for Sculpture') was identified by Kalman as Dance's design for the Custom House.
The elevation shows a two-storey, seven-bay building with a portico of four unfluted columns in antis flanked by end bays framed by coupled pilasters, and is related to [SM D3/11/5]. Here, however, the arcuated base is not drawn in and the design differs in several ways; for example, Doric has been substituted for Tuscan, ashlar has replaced rusticated masonry, the parapet balustrade is replaced by plain panels, and the central figure of Britannia above the architrave now rests on one of three massive plinths decorated by stele motifs instead of the lively volute supports of [SM D3/11/5]. Dance's modifications have added gravitas to his design though the engraving (see note to [SM D3/11/5] did not include them.
The elevation shows a two-storey, seven-bay building with a portico of four unfluted columns in antis flanked by end bays framed by coupled pilasters, and is related to [SM D3/11/5]. Here, however, the arcuated base is not drawn in and the design differs in several ways; for example, Doric has been substituted for Tuscan, ashlar has replaced rusticated masonry, the parapet balustrade is replaced by plain panels, and the central figure of Britannia above the architrave now rests on one of three massive plinths decorated by stele motifs instead of the lively volute supports of [SM D3/11/5]. Dance's modifications have added gravitas to his design though the engraving (see note to [SM D3/11/5] did not include them.
Level
Drawing
If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk