Studies for the transept wall and entrance, with alternatives, closer to the model

WRE/1/3

1673

Brown ink over pencil and incised lines, with additions in pencil, brown ink and black chalk (top of sheet). Thick laid paper, trimmed on three sides, with irregular edge on right. 21.9 x 37.4 cm No visible watermark.

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang2057{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Microsoft Sans Serif;}{\f1\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 System;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue128;} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\f0\fs20 Studies for transept wall and entrance, with alternatives for the central recess in pencil, brown ink and black chalk. Drawn by Wren. Datable 1673. Implied scale, c.12ft to 1 inch.\par \par The ink sketching and ruled outline drawing are in the same ink and apparently in the same hand. Drawn in pencil on the left side, but turned anti-clockwise through 90 degrees, is a part-elevation of a three-bay church front with a pedimented central bay and continuous eaves cornice; probably for St Mildred Poultry, a church begun in 1670 (Wren Society 9, pl.56); the left half of the elevation was cut off when the sheet was trimmed and reused.\par \par The ink-drawn plan was developed from sketch (iv) on the reverse of WRE/1/2. In the executed scheme the column on the inner angle is closer to the flank of the recess and this intermediate bay is narrower (see Whinney 1971, p.89). A variant scheme on the right side brings the inner column forwards to the line of the three-quarter column and curves the wall behind it to meet the frame of an enlarged door. Dotted lines indicate the cornice curving around the recess and running above the front line of columns. Wren explored variants for the transept entrance in nine related sketches around the sheet: \par \par (i) Top left, in black chalk: plan with two columns stepping inwards to frame the door.\par \par (ii) Top right, in black chalk: elevation of the upper part of the recess showing the stepped columns in (i), the segmental pediment and the set-backs in the entablature.\par \par (iii) Below, top centre, and aligned with the ink-drawn plan: alternatives for a concave sided recess, treated, on the left, with a plain wall terminated at the front by a pilaster paired with a three-quarter column, and, on the right, and at a lesser depth, by two canted pilasters. \par \par (iv) Upper right centre: plan of flanking bay with paired three-quarter columns on the outer side.\par \par (v) Top right, in ink, facing right edge of sheet: small sketch of concave-shaped recess with pilasters framing the left-hand bay (right side cut off). \par \par (vi) Centre right, in ink: small sketched elevation of the above plan showing the concave niche rising into a triangular pediment and with a pilastered bay on the left. \par \par (vii) Bottom right, in pencil: plan of a detached column in front of a pilaster respond, and with a slightly set back three-quarter pilaster adjacent.\par \par (viii) Bottom centre: sketch in black chalk of steps or seats in a recess, eight steps in all, with lines of circles on alternate steps; the purpose is unclear. \par \par (ix) Bottom left, in pencil: alternative detail for the corner of the recess, with the column set close to the wall angle and without pilaster responds.\cf0\b\f1\par }

Access to the Wren office drawings held at London Metropolitan Archives is available only with advance notice and at the discretion of the Heritage Services Director, London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London, EC1R 0HB.

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