½ in to 1 ft

dimensions given including (Carter, pencil) The exact Length of the radius is 16..8¼ and (verso, Dance) Plan of Library / Bookcases &c and (red pen) Plan & Sections of Library Stratton

• 1803-07

Brown pen, pink and yellow washes, pencil hatching on wove paper (395 x 625)

Dance, Carter

The library was rectangular with three windows to the east and one to the south with two doors on the west side to the Hall of Communication and breakfast room, and a chimney-piece. Large (folding) doors between the library and drawing room permitted an arrangement preferred by Dance where two or more rooms could be opened up into one, and either side of this door, deep bookcases were arranged on a curve forming an apsidal north end to the library. Earlier general plans ([SM D1/1/15], [SM D1/1/9] and [SM D1/1/10]) had shown swept corners at the south end of the library as well as the north end but later drawings ([SM D1/1/39] and [SM D1/1/38]) show the south end with right-angled corners as here. National Monuments Record photographs (1951) show that, except for a later chimney-piece, the library survived more or less intact until that date. Its most remarkable decorative features were the wall paintings above the bookshelves 'whose red-figure paintings imitate the manner of Greek vases. The paintings [were] probably by the elder Robert Smirke' (Kalman p.163) who carried out (with Biagio Rebecca) something similar for the library at Lansdowne House, London.

Verso
Rough plan (by Carter) and perspective of the garden bridge on the N side
Pencil

Drawing

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

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