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[3] Finished drawing for the principal (first) storey, 1771, as executed
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Reference number
SM Adam volume 32/102
Purpose
[3] Finished drawing for the principal (first) storey, 1771, as executed
Aspect
Plan of the principal (first) storey of a five-bay house with an irregular exterior wall to the east. The drawing rooms are positioned facing north, south and west, with the first drawing room formed with an apsidal end with niches. To the north-east there is a dressing room, bedchamber and servants room, with an irregular space to the far north-east containing a powdering room and staircase. The principal staircase, with a colonnaded screen, is set within an oval compartment. To the east, shown in pink wash, there is an additional building containing a laundry and wash house
Scale
bar scale of 2 inches to 10 feet
Inscribed
Plan of the Principle Story of Apsley House in Piccadilly – for the Lord Chancellor / Blank / Blank / Powdering Room / Chimney Wedgewood £00-00 / 3rd Drawing Room. Or Toillet Room / Statuary Marble Chimney with Scagliola – not exceeding £300-00 / Dressing Room / Chimney Marble and wood £10-00 / Bed chamber / chimney plain Marble £50-0-0 / Servants room / Laundry / Wash House / 2nd Drawing Room / Statuary Chimney Pew enscribed £200-0-0 / 1st Drawing Room / Chimney plain Marble Circular / £120-0-0 / Coachman’s Room and Hay Loft intended above Wash House & Laundary / Blank / Blank / Blank
Signed and dated
- 1771
Rob.t Adam Architect 1771
Medium and dimensions
Pen, pencil and coloured washes including black and pink within a single ruled border on laid paper (471 x 517)
Hand
Possibly
Office hand, possibly Joseph Bonomi or William Hamilton
Office hand, possibly Joseph Bonomi or William Hamilton
Verso
Chancellor
Watermark
PVL
Notes
Adam volume 32/100 and 32/102 shows an additional three storey block of services rooms to the east of the main building, shown in pink, accessible via the servants’ hall. Lea speculates on the possibility that this part of the site was covered by a separate leasehold and likely part of a separate phase of development.
Adam volume 32/101 - 32/103 are not dated, but Lea highlights the probability they were completed after July 1771, when the plot was extended to the north and west following additional land leases made to Lord Apsley on the 13th July 1771. The plans show how the line of the south wall remains skew, and Lea suggests that this is perhaps due to the line of the park wall.
The first floor plan lists further chimneypieces for the Bedchamber, adjacent closet and powdering room. If these pieces were executed they do not survive the subsequent works by Wyatt (1828-1830).
Adam volume 32/101 - 32/103 are not dated, but Lea highlights the probability they were completed after July 1771, when the plot was extended to the north and west following additional land leases made to Lord Apsley on the 13th July 1771. The plans show how the line of the south wall remains skew, and Lea suggests that this is perhaps due to the line of the park wall.
The first floor plan lists further chimneypieces for the Bedchamber, adjacent closet and powdering room. If these pieces were executed they do not survive the subsequent works by Wyatt (1828-1830).
Literature
Bolton, 1922, Volume II, Index p. 43
Harris, 2001(b), pp. 99-100
Lea, 2005, p.9
For a full list of literature references see scheme notes.
Harris, 2001(b), pp. 99-100
Lea, 2005, p.9
For a full list of literature references see scheme notes.
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