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[11] Variant design for plan of ground floor
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Reference number
SM 6/2/13
Purpose
[11] Variant design for plan of ground floor
Aspect
Ground floor plan
Scale
bar scale of 1/8 inch to 1 foot
Inscribed
The Earl of Ailesbury, Plan of Bagden House, shewing the proposed alteratrions and additions, rooms labelled: Drawing Room, Eating Room, Hall, Staircase, Library and / Breakfast Room, Lord Bruce's / Dressing Room, Laundry, Wash-house, Housekeeper, Servants' Hall, Court, Butler, Kitchen<
Signed and dated
- 11/6/1795
Lincolns Inn Fields 11 June 1795
Medium and dimensions
Pen, red and sepia washes, quadruple-ruled border, partly pricked for transfer on laid paperwith one fold mark (474 x 589)
Hand
The office Day Book entry for 11 June 1795 has Meyer, Jeans, Seward and Good as making drawings for the 'Earl of Ailesbury'. These were four of the five pupils then serving their articles with Soane. (See introductory notes for full names and dates)
Watermark
J Whatman and fleur-de-lis above cartouche with bar and below, ornate W
Notes
The new drawing and eating rooms are projected forward so that there is a gap between these rooms and the existing ones to the rear. This allows for a different design for the circulation from the entrance to the staircase. Thus a segmental stair (three steps) fronts the entrance door and thence a cross-vaulted hallway precedes a raised square 'Hall' with four steps on four sides - two of which have windows; then follows the staircase. The aim is to create a more impressive sense of arrival and departure but the idea of a raised hall, 15 x 12 feet, that you step up to and then down seems odd.
The plan does not incorporate the pencilled notes regarding windows to the sides of the eating and drawing rooms and the re-positioning of the doors of the design made the day before (see Alternative designs for ground floor 'No1', SM 6/2/14, dated 10 June 1795).
The plan does not incorporate the pencilled notes regarding windows to the sides of the eating and drawing rooms and the re-positioning of the doors of the design made the day before (see Alternative designs for ground floor 'No1', SM 6/2/14, dated 10 June 1795).
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