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  • image SM 65/4/15

Reference number

SM 65/4/15

Purpose

[18] Presentation drawing for alternative designs No 4 and No 5 for the College on an enclosed quadrangular plan

Aspect

Bird's eye view for Design No 4 / & / 5

Inscribed

as above, No X, (Soane) Dulwich College

Signed and dated

  • (Soane) Lincolns Inn Fields / May 1811

Medium and dimensions

Pen and coloured washes, watercolour technique, shaded, within an eight-ruled pen and sepia and black wash border on wove paper (322 x 467)

Hand

George Bailey (1792-1860, pupil and Soane office assistant 1806-1837, curator 1837-1860) (attribution by comparison of hands)

Notes

The fourth design is a development of the quadrangular plan of Design No 1. The Mausoleum is now rectangular on plan and connects the east end of the chapel and the south end of the Gallery. The Mausoleum is shown with columns arranged in a circle and with a rectangular chamber behind that presumably is for the tomb.

The fifth design though similar to design No 4 locates the Mausoleum on the west side of the Gallery, projecting out from the centre, a more prominent position.
The bird's eye view most resembles design No 5 having the Mausoleum placed to the west of the Gallery.

On Thursday 16 May 1811, Soane records in his office Note Book a visit to Mr Allen at Dulwich when he handed over the first five designs and 'settled gen[eral] est[imate] of Gallery and finish and Mausol[eum] ab[out]: £8000 on a rough calculation'.

Literature

C. Davies, 'Masters of building: the first independent purpose-built picture gallery: Dulwich Picture Gallery', Architect's Journal, April 1984, p. 53
F. Nevola, Soane's favourite subject: the story of Dulwich Picture Gallery, 2000, pp. 28 & 176

Level

Drawing

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

If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk