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[392] Final design, New Law Courts, 30 April 1824
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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 53/3/42
Purpose
[392] Final design, New Law Courts, 30 April 1824
Aspect
Elevations of a Gothic façade for the Court of King's Bench to St Margaret's Street, with octagonal corner turret, and the junction with the northern flank of the Stone Building, not executed, with variant regular octagonal corner turret, almost as executed
Scale
bar scale of 1/10 inch to 1 foot
Inscribed
Elevation of part of the Front of the New Courts, next St. Margaret's Street / altered agreeably to the directions of the Select Committee .. 13th. April 1824. / 13th. Ap[ri]l. 1824 / As altered by the Select Committee. / 6th. May. 1824 / Scale of Feet
Signed and dated
- 30/04/1824
Lincolns Inn Fields / 30th. April. 1824
Medium and dimensions
Pencil, pen, wash, part coloured washes including raw umber, burnt umber and sepia, within septupal ruled wash border pricked for transfer on wove paper (741 x 535)
Hand
Attributed to Charles James Richardson (1806 - 1871), draughtsman
The Day Book entry for 30 April 1824 notes that Charles Richardson was Copying drawings of the / New Courts to a reduced / scale.
The Day Book entry for 30 April 1824 notes that Charles Richardson was Copying drawings of the / New Courts to a reduced / scale.
Notes
A similar type of ruled border occurs on SM 53/3/37 and SM 53/3/38. As the inscription makes clear, this drawing was prepared in response to Soane's meetings with the Select Committee on 13 April and 6 May 1824. The original proposal is central to the sheet, showing the corner turret as an irregular octagon with fenestration at three levels of two of its outer faces. A revised propsal (to the right of the latter) shows the turret with a regular footprint, its dimensions reduced and with single lancets in its diagonal sides. This agrees with the elevation to New Palace Yard shown in SM 53/3/41, save for the absence of fleurons beneath the turret's battlements. The washes applied to the two elevations are clearly by different hands.
Level
Drawing
Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation.
This catalogue of Soane’s designs for the New Law Courts was generously funded by The Worshipful Company of Mercers and The Pilgrim Trust.
If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk