Explore Collections
You are here:
CollectionsOnline
/
[43] Design for a weather vane atop the tower, St Peter's, Walworth, London, 24 May 1824
Browse
Reference number
SM 54/6/40
Purpose
[43] Design for a weather vane atop the tower, St Peter's, Walworth, London, 24 May 1824
Aspect
Elevation of the copper weather vane. The shaft is composed of a floral plinth, spirally fluted column, and band of stiff leaf. The vane has a crossed rod with south and north indicated. The upper portion of the shaft has a closed floral base, and vertical bar which is crossed by the wind guage. Atop is a pine cone finial
Scale
bar scale of 2 1/2 inches 1 foot
Inscribed
St. Peter's Church. Walworth / Elevation of Copper Vane
Signed and dated
- 1824
(Copied) / 24th. May 1824
Medium and dimensions
Pen, coloured washes of Payne's grey and yellow, pricked for transfer on wove paper (724 x 519)
Hand
Probably Stephen Burchell (1806 - c.1843), draughtsman
The Office Day Book for the 24 May 1824 records Burchell as working on drawings for the weather vane at St Peter's
The Office Day Book for the 24 May 1824 records Burchell as working on drawings for the weather vane at St Peter's
Notes
The weather vane was a feature noted by the architectural critic E. J. Carlos in 1826 as, 'not the most happy ornament that may have been selected' and questioned the large proportions of the arms in relation to the scale of the tower. Additionally, Carlos related that as the church was not on an exact east-west axis, it caused the vane to sway rather awkwardly. Despite this, the virtually identical weather vane design was eventually used to surmount the domes of both Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone (for example, SM 54/2/6; SM 54/4/4) and St. John's Church, Bethnal Green (for example, SM 45/7/53; SM 47/5/5).
Literature
Carlos, 1826, p. 201
Level
Drawing
If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk