[8] Copy of plan of ground floor 'B' and (verso) of first floor

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Sir John Soane office drawings: the drawings of Sir John Soane and the office of Sir John Soane
- Town houses
  - Reading, Berkshire: Friar Street, house for Lancelot Austwick, 1796 (32)
    - Designs made March 1796 (12)

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Reference number

SM 2/7A/15

Purpose

[8] Copy of plan of ground floor 'B' and (verso) of first floor

Aspect

Plan of the Ground Floor (verso) Plan of the Frst Floor

Scale

bar scale of 1/6 inch to 1 foot

Inscribed

as above, Lancelot Austwick Esq, rooms labelled: Parlor, Office, Entrance, China Closet, Pantry, Kitchen, Washouse / and / Scullery and dimensions given (verso) Chamber (five times), Ladies Sitting Room, Water / Closet and some dimensions given

Signed and dated

Robert Smirke (verso) Robert Smirke see note under Hand

Medium and dimensions

Pen and sepia washes, added pencil, with quadruple ruled and sepia wash border on laid paper (525 x 430) (verso) pen, sepia and Indian red washes

Hand

The 'signature' suggests that the drawing was made by Robert Smirke (1780 - 1867), pupil May 1796 - January 1797. However, Smirke did not enter the office until May 1796 and this drawing is datable to March 1796. Moreover, he was only 16 years old and the drawing is by a mature and confident hand. Then again, pupils and asistants were not permitted to sign drawings. There are other drawings 'signed' Robert Smirke and it is thought that these are by a later ? curatorial hand seeking to identify those drawings thought to be made by Smirke - the most successful of Soane's former pupils.
The office Day Book covering March 1796 is missing. Entries for April and May 1796 name Good, Seward, Provis and Laing as making drawings for Mr Austwick; Robert Smirke is not named.

Watermark

J Larking and fleur de lis above cartouche with bar and below, GR

Notes

There are some very rough pencil cancellations against the back rooms.

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