[45-47] Sketch perspectives, 10 June 1800 and finished perspective for the interior of the 'Great Hall of Entrance' (3)

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Sir John Soane office drawings: the drawings of Sir John Soane and the office of Sir John Soane
- Office of Works
  - London: Palace of Westminster: designs for alterations and additions, 1793-1828 (499)
    - London: House of Lords, Palace of Westminster: unofficial (mostly domed) designs, 1793 - May 1794 and after February 1795 (58)

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Reference number

SM (45) volume 69/67 (46) volume 69/68 (47) P277 (North Drawing Room)

Purpose

[45-47] Sketch perspectives, 10 June 1800 and finished perspective for the interior of the 'Great Hall of Entrance' (3)

Aspect

45 Sketch interior perspective for'The Great Hall of Entrance 46 Sketch of the "Barberini Candelabrum" 47 Finished interior perspective of the principal entrance

Inscribed

(45) as above, House of Lords (46) as above (47) Principal entrance new House of Lords (Sir. J. Soane 1794), Part of the building proposed for the new House of Lords / this view was made from the drawings designed in obedience to an order of a committee of / the House of Lords and officially submitted and honored with the approbation of His Majesty. // It was originally suggested to finish the whole of the interior of this building in the stile of the ancient architec / ture of England and some progress was accordingly made but the idea was relinquished cheifly (sic) in consideration / of the unfitness of that manner of building to the purposes of public speaking and the enormous expence / that would have attended the execution of the design

Signed and dated

(45) June 10th 1800

Medium and dimensions

(45) Pen, pencil, warm sepia and blue washes, shaded on laid paper in album with blue, pink and yellow marbled boards (368 x 234) (46) pencil on laid paper in album - as drawing 45 (47) pen and coloured washes,figures in gouache (905 x 260 approx.) framed

Hand

(45-47) Joseph Michael Gandy (1771-1843, assistant January 1798-1801). The staffage (figures) of drawing 47 added by another hand, possibly Henry Hake Seward (1778-1848, pupil and assistant, May 1794-September 1808)

Watermark

(45-46) fleur-de-lis within crowned cartouche and below GR

Notes

The Great Hall of Entrance has a ceiling with a canopy dome that is preceded and succeeded by vaulted ceilings; pairs of fluted Ionic columns with a replica of the Barberini candelabrum stand on tall bases. There are two sets of four stairs at each end of the hall. Interior perspectives are visualised by a draughtsman from plans and sections. Finish and atmosphere are the work of the perspectivist who may also contribute to the design. Gandy was masterly in his rendering of Soane's architecture though weak with regard to drawing figures that were here presumably contributed by an office colleague.

The Barberine candelabrum (drawing 52) would have appealed to Soane as well as to Gandy. Soane visited the Palazzo Barberini when in Rome (see Soane's sketchbook 39, p.63 verso).

Literature. S.Sawyer, Soane at Westminster, PhD thesis, Columbia University, pp.225 (drawing 47)

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