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[2] Letter sent by Soane to Thomas Pitt from Milan, August 1779
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- Sir John Soane office drawings: the drawings of Sir John Soane and the office of Sir John Soane
Reference number
SM 42/182
Purpose
[2] Letter sent by Soane to Thomas Pitt from Milan, August 1779
Aspect
Letter (see below)
Inscribed
Milan Augst the [blank] 1779 / Dear Sir / I did myself the honor of writing to you from Rome, enclosing / a sketch of your house in London, which I hope you have recd, and that it / found you in a much stronger state of Body than you had when I left Naples. / I am flatter'd by the friendship you have honor'd me with, of not being / too intrusive by informing you of my Conduct. Mr Burdon, for whose / friendship I can never be sufficiently grateful having brought me with / him to Parma, I informed myself of the subject for the Premium / in Architecture ^to be given by the Royal Academy of this place in 1780 (May) / for which I wish to become a candidate if it meets with your approbation. / I have therefore taken the liberty of enclosing you two designs for "Un / Castello d'acqua decorato d'una pubblica fontana. Si domandano il Piano / l'Elevazione, e lo Spaccato d'un Serbatojo d'acque, che in grandissima / copia si supporranno in esso raccolte per comodo, ed ornamento d'una / Metropoli. La facciata adunque di questo edifizio sara posta nel fondo / d'una larga piazza, ed ornerassi con tutta la magnificenza di una / pubblica Fontana, che si vedra divisa in piu polle scaturire da Statue, / da Rupi, o da animali, come vorra la fantasia dell'Architetto, che / rappresentando qualche Favola, o qualche Istoria piu distinguersi / nell'invenzione. Si vuole ezandio un alloggia unito al Serbatojo / per gli Idraulici, e Custodi dell'Edificio." I must beg leave to request / your assistance to point out the most exceptionable parts & to inform / me if I have conceived it in any degree agreeable to the proposition /
(continued on the verso) if you should think my request unfair, I wish you to know that I then cease / to desire your Ideas on the subject, tho most sensible of the want of / your assistance. I must confess the subject is entirely new to me & that / I am very doubtful of the propriety of my Idea's respecting it. / I hope to have the honor of seeing you again before you leave Italy / but least I should not permit me to express my desire of hearing from / you at Florence, if it is convenient by the latter end of September. / I am afraid it is hurrying you, but I cannot think doing any thing / further till I know ^wether if it will meet with your favourable opinion. / Mr Burdon desires his Complimts & give me leave to trouble you / with best respect to Lord Tylney & Mr Pennington, & accept of my / hearty wishes for the perfect re-establishment of your health, / I have the honor to be, / With the greatest respect / your much oblidged h[um]ble Servt / J. Soan / I must trouble you to enclose me this letter / as the Sketches contain'd in it are the first / Ideas, of which time will not allow me to / take Copies, I have only to wish to have the / honor of hearing from you, at Florence, / a la Posta restante, which will determine / my future plan, & to express my hopes of not / breaking in too much on your repose.
(continued on the verso) if you should think my request unfair, I wish you to know that I then cease / to desire your Ideas on the subject, tho most sensible of the want of / your assistance. I must confess the subject is entirely new to me & that / I am very doubtful of the propriety of my Idea's respecting it. / I hope to have the honor of seeing you again before you leave Italy / but least I should not permit me to express my desire of hearing from / you at Florence, if it is convenient by the latter end of September. / I am afraid it is hurrying you, but I cannot think doing any thing / further till I know ^wether if it will meet with your favourable opinion. / Mr Burdon desires his Complimts & give me leave to trouble you / with best respect to Lord Tylney & Mr Pennington, & accept of my / hearty wishes for the perfect re-establishment of your health, / I have the honor to be, / With the greatest respect / your much oblidged h[um]ble Servt / J. Soan / I must trouble you to enclose me this letter / as the Sketches contain'd in it are the first / Ideas, of which time will not allow me to / take Copies, I have only to wish to have the / honor of hearing from you, at Florence, / a la Posta restante, which will determine / my future plan, & to express my hopes of not / breaking in too much on your repose.
Signed and dated
- as above (J. Soan) and (August 1779)
Medium and dimensions
Brown pen on half-sheet of secretary paper with four fold marks (224 x 185)
Hand
Soane
Watermark
IV (shared)
Notes
It seems that Soane's sketch designs and letters were sent to Thomas Pitt, nephew of the recently deceased Earl of Chatham. Pitt arrived in Rome, early in December 1778. He was an accomplished amateur architect and became a life-long friend to Soane. Both travelled to Naples in the winter of 1778 and there Pitt became ill and stayed for some months.
Literature
P. du Prey, John Soane's architectural education 1753-80, 1977, pp.243-54
P. du Prey, John Soane: the making of an architect, 1982, pp.110-11, 177-84
P. du Prey, John Soane: the making of an architect, 1982, pp.110-11, 177-84
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