Five-hour design for 'The Door of a Church, dedicated to the Evangelists'

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Sir John Soane office drawings: the drawings of Sir John Soane and the office of Sir John Soane
- Soane's architectural education: Royal Academy and Italy including measured drawings: 1770-1780
  - Soane's architectural education including theoretical designs made for the Royal Academy Schools and for exhibition at the Royal Academy, 1770-80, and in Italy, 1778-80
    - Design for an entrance to a church for the Royal Academy Schools, week of 25 November to 1 December, 1776

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Reference number

SM 45/1/14

Purpose

Five-hour design for 'The Door of a Church, dedicated to the Evangelists'

Aspect

Half-wall plan and elevation of entrance front including door

Scale

(feint pencil) bar scale of 1/8 in to 1 ft approximately

Inscribed

Niches for statues inscribed: S^t Matthew, S^t Mark, Saint Luke, Saint John, Saint James, Saint / Peter, S^t Paul

Medium and dimensions

Pencil, pen, sepia wash, shaded on laid paper (351 x 519)

Hand

Soane

Watermark

fleur-de-lis within crowned cartouche with GR below

Notes

Soane made this sketch design in an allocated five hours during the week between 25 November and 1 December 1776. The subject was set by the Royal Academy and rather than a doorway, Soane designed a facade with door and included all twelve apostles instead of the four evangelists. As du Prey points out, the source is the end pavilon of Soane's Gold Medal competition design for a Triumphal Bridge (q.v.), a project that occupied him for much of that year and the drawings for which were made outside the walls of the Royal Academy. Hence it was a requirement of the Academy that candidates sit the 'esquisse' or unseen exercise as a condition of entry to the Gold Medal competition. The subject was drawn out of a hat and the Keeper and the Secretary supervised the student or students during the five hours allowed for the exercise. Presumably, the idea was to have some sort of check on whether the student received help with his (Gold Medal) competition entry.

Jill Lever, September 2005

Literature

P. du Prey, John Soane's architectural education 1753-80, 1977, pp.77-9
P. du Prey, John Soane: the making of an architect, 1982, p.77

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