Sir John Soane

Sir John Soane , 1753-1837, English architect. After studying with George Dance, the younger, Soane won a fellowship to Rome. He toured Italy and returned in 1780 to begin his practice in England. In 1788 he was chosen to succeed Sir Robert Taylor as architect for the Bank of England, his largest and most important work. Among his other works are the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Pitzhanger Manor at Ealing, and his own residence at Lincoln's Inn Fields, now known as the Soane Museum, which he bequeathed as a museum for his collections. He devoted his later years to teaching architecture and delivering lectures. Although one of the leaders of the classic revival in England, he went beyond the mere imitation of classical models generally prevalent and evolved a highly individual style through an imaginative and flexible use of Greek and Roman motifs and a daring manipulation of interior space and scale. He became a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1802 and was knighted in 1831.

Bibliography: See biography by G. Darley (1999); studies by J. Summerson (1952), P. Du Prey (2 vol., 1977-82), D. Stroud (1984), and M. Richardson and M. A. Stevens, ed. (1999).

Soane, Sir John (1753–1837). English architect. Following successful studies at the Royal Academy, between 1778 and 1780 Soane travelled in Italy on a scholarship awarded by George III. In 1788 he won the competition to design a new Bank of England. Of this, his most important work, only some fine interiors remain. Two houses he designed for himself show his mature style; Pitzhanger Manor, Ealing, is now a library, while 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields is the Sir John Soane Museum, containing his collection of antiques and paintings.