Overlooking Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London’s Holborn is the former home turned museum of the celebrated Regency era architect, Sir John Soane. Built between 1792 and 1823, the museum is the greatest example of his work: networks of corridors connect the three houses which make up the museum, winding their way to the central cloister. The many rooms are filled to the brim with Soane’s impressive collection of art, including an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus and Roman statues.
Today, after a year-long restoration, the museum is opening the ‘Drawing Office’ for the first time since Soane’s death in 1837. Occupying the attic space of the building, the room was once where Soane’s draughtsmen and apprentices worked. The walls are lined with a vast display of plaster casts of Roman architectural decoration. The original desks display models of Soane’s architectural projects, including his model of the Bank of England. Over the course of the year, each of these pieces was carefully cleaned and restored, the original stained glass was reinstated and the existing columns were realigned.
Making proper use of the room, the museum will host two artists in residence per year (one in Spring and one in Autumn), which kicks off in June with Sam Belinfante. The multi-media artist will be able to work in the Drawing Office and can use Soane’s drawings which are displayed around the museum as inspiration for his audio-visual recordings. Among the works being referenced will be a drawing for an Opera house which was never realised, and Soane’s drawings of Pompeii.
Later this year, cartoonist and comic artist Ella Baron will be reinterpreting many of the works on display in the museum into her own style. In particular, she’ll be focusing on Hogarth’s Rake’s Progress series, on display in the ‘Picture Room’. Both artists represent contemporary styles of art, which against the backdrop of the historic building is a very satisfying coming together of old and new.
The Drawing Office opens to the public on 11th May. Booking is not required, and free tours will take place on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2pm on a first-come-first-served basis. To learn more about the restoration, visit drawingoffice.soane.org.
