{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O186820"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O186820/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O186820","accessionNumber":"3307:13","objectType":"Architectural drawing","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This elevation of the entrance façade was designed by Sir John Soane for the Mausoleum of Earl Chatham ca. 1778 while he was travelling in Italy in the company of Grand Tourists who had admired Chatham. \r\n\r\nSoane had previously drawn upon ideas from Peyre 1765 for the Triumphal Bridge and James King Mausoleum. In the case of the Chatham Mausoleum, Soane borrowed from Peyre's plan for a sepulchral chapel, however, eventually he decided to elongate the chapel in order to provide greater space for internments. He grafted on to the centralised shape a long niche-like projection reminiscent of the Serapaeum of Hadrian's Villa.\r\n\r\nThe entire evolution of the design is an excellent instance of Soane's eclectic design process at work and other Soane mausoleum designs relate to the Chatham one, including a British Pantheon.\r\n\r\nThis copy of the elevation comes from the collection of James Charles Richardson, Soane's assistant from 1824-1837, and is perhaps less faithful to the original design.","physicalDescription":"Elevation of the entrance façade","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen, pencil and grey and yellow wash.","categories":[{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"}],"styles":[{"text":"Neoclassical","id":"AAT21477"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH (VA)","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"93","shelf":"E","box":"19"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}],[{"text":"drawing","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1778-1781","earliest":"1778-01-01","latest":"1781-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"3307:13","id":"O186767"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"3307:15","id":"O186828"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"3307:18","id":"O186841"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"9.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"23.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Taken from <i>Sir John Soane: Catalogues of the Architectural Drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum</i> by Pierre de la Ruffinière du Prey, p. 33","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"<i>Mausoleum</i>","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed on page."}],"objectHistory":"Historical significance: The entire evolution of the design is an excellent instance of Soane's eclectic design process at work and other Soane mausoleum designs relate to the Chatham one, including a British Pantheon.\n\nThis drawing was pasted into a copy of John Soane's book <i>Designs for Public and Private Buildings</i> owned by Soane’s assistant Charles James Richardson. Richardson built up a large collection of originals and copies (many of which he executed himself) of his master's designs, and distributed the bulk of them into two folio volumes, interspersed with the printed pages of the book. These volumes were bought by the South Kensington Museum (now the V&amp;A) in 1863.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Elevation of the entrance façade for the Earl of Chatham Mausoleum, copy after a design by Sir John Soane, 1778-1781.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"du Prey, P. de la Ruffinière. <u>Sir John Soane: Catalogues of Architectural Drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>, London, 1985"}],"production":"A copy of the original design by Sir John Soane","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Chatham","id":"N2663"},{"text":"Sir John Soane","id":"N2369"},{"text":"Soane, John (Sir)","id":"N2369"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"entrance","id":"AAT2776"},{"text":"façade","id":"AAT2526"},{"text":"mausoleum","id":"AAT5891"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["3307:14"],"accessionNumberNum":"3307","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-20","recordCreationDate":"2009-02-09","availableToBook":false}}