bar scale of 1/4 inch to 1 foot

as above, John Thomson Esq^re / Roehampton, Plan of Saloon and some dimensions given

Pen, sepia wash over light red wash on laid paper (560 x 685)

Soane office hand

Drawing [22] is the plan of the house (q.v.) before Soane's interventions. It shows the saloon, at the heart of the house, measuring 33 feet 4½ inches by 21 feet 7½ inches and with five windows looking out on to the lawn. Soane's remodelling of the saloon included two curved walls and one large window (12 feet wide and 11 feet 10 inches high). As before, entry to the verandah and thence to the garden was via the eating room and library on either side of the saloon.
The new shutters were for a circular window on either side of the large (fixed) window, each measuring 3 feet 6 inches across and placed 2 feet 8½ inches plus above floor level.

There is a single drawing for Cedar House in the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (photograph of it in Soane Museum green box files under Roehampton). The drawing is inscribed 'Salon John Thomson Esq. 1808' and that date is later than any of the Soane Museum drawings. The perspective shows the large window which now looks as though it opens on to the verandah outside. This French window has a curtain carefully draped across the top and sides. On each side of the large window is a tall niche with a sculpted figure, two chimeypieces face each other across the room. It seems very likley that this is the executed design or something very close to it. (see Pierre de la Ruffiniere du Prey, Catalogues of architectural drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Sir John Soane, 1985, p.219)

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