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 This
museum was left to the nation in by Sir John Soane in 1837,
on the condition that nothing should be changed.
Sir John Soane, who was one of
Britain's leading 19th century architects, developed a neo-Classical
style of his own and designed the Bank of England.
Soane was the son of a bricklayer
but made a marriage to the niece of a wealthy builder whose
fortune he inherited. With his wealth Soane purchased
and reconstructed 12 Lincoln's Inn Fields. In 1813 the
couple moved into number 13 and in 1824 Soane rebuilt number
14, adding a picture gallery and mock medieval Monk's Parlour.
Over the years Soane filled
the house with his collection of antiquities, sculpture and
paintings. Today the building and collections remain
as he left them.
The building has architectural
surprises, such as in the main ground floor room, decorated
in deep red and green, with positioned mirrors to create light
and space. Upstairs in the picture gallery there are
panels, covered with paintings, that unfold to reveal even
more works of art. The pictures include Soane's
designs for the Bank of England and Pitzhanger Manor, and
'The Rake's Progress' by Hogarth, which Mrs Soane purchased
for £520.
From the centre of the basement
is an atrium with a glass dome that lights the galleries on
every floor. Each room is filled with pieces from
Soane's collection, including Classical statuary, bronzes,
casts and antique fragments. There is also a selection
of bizarre items such as a 'scold's bridle' and a giant fungus
from Sumatra.
Features include the Monk's Parlour
with its collection of Gothic casts, models by leading Neo-Classical
sculptors such as Banks and Flaxman and the Crypt where the
sarcophagus of Seti I (1300 BC) stands on the floor.
Visit on one of its evening openings
in the winter when it is lit by candles.
Note: groups must book.
Admission free
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