Two designs for relief decoration: (upper) on the vault pendentives above the clerestory windows; (lower) on the heads of the crossing arches

WRE/5/1/13

c.1690–91

Sir Christopher (1632–1723) Wren, Caius Gabriel (1630–1700) Cibber, Nicholas (c.1662–1736) Hawksmoor

Pencil, with grey wash in several applications, over-drawn in pencil and with some brown ink. Thick smooth laid paper. 34.4 x 50.3 cm. Watermark: Strasbourg lily WR over AJ

{\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 Two unexecuted studies by the sculptor Caius Gabriel Cibber, the upper one, in half-plan for the soffits of the high vaults above the clerestory windows, and the lower one, in half-elevation, for the keyblocks of the crossing arches, with a section on the left dimensioned by Hawksmoor. Datable c.1690-91. Implied scale, 1 ft to 5/8 inch.\par \par The intricate technique of grey wash applied in several layers over pencil, with thin parallel brush strokes in places, pencil shading and undulating pencil or brown-ink outlines, is found in a study associated with Cibber for wall decoration at Hampton Court Palace in c.1690-94 at Sir John Soane\rquote s Museum, SM vol. 110/63 (see: http://www.jeromeonline.co.uk/drawings). A study for the vaulting cartouche on the reverse of WRE/5/1/7 is attributable to Cibber. Two studies at All Souls College for an urn and a decorative border are probably in his hand (Geraghty 2007, nos.418, 419).\par \par Cibber was paid \'a3280 in March 1698 for carving the \lquote 8 Great Key Stones in the Arches round the Dome\rquote (Wren Society 15, p.38). The lower study is an early proposal for the sculptural relief at the heads of the crossing arches. It shows the architrave of the arch with a fluted lower fascia, 2 ft 2 inches high, no upper fascia and a panel moulding in the spandrel; the wall of the arch rises vertically from the architrave to the panel. It must date before work began at the base of the crossing arches in 1691-92 (see Wren Society 14, pp.103, 105). These arches were built with an inward-sloping upper fascia crowned by a cyma moulding; the lower moulding is 2 ft high, the spandrel does not have a panel moulding, and sculptural relief is restricted to the keyblocks (see WRE/5/2/4 and Poley 1927, pl.XXX).\par \par Cibber drew the keyblock in half-elevation. A cherub on a leaf-moulded base holds up the abacus and supports a pendant festoon on the arch pendentive while leaf ornaments trail beneath the arch soffit. As carved in 1697-98, the keyblocks are conventional scrolled consoles, with a variety of relief ornaments on their front faces.\par \par The upper study, in reverse sense, is an early proposal for carved relief decoration on the vault pendentives above the clerestory windows. The straight edge is the line of the window arch in plan. A beribboned wreath encloses a cherub head dressed with acanthus, while a stalk with sprouting acanthus and palm leaves fills the pendentive. In the fabric the wreaths are without cherub heads and the pendentives are filled with scrolling acanthus. The study probably predates the first small-scale model for the vaulting of the choir, completed in May 1691 (Wren Society 14, p.86). In April 1993 centering for the \lquote Lunet Arches\rquote was installed and Edward Strong\rquote s masons carved the ornaments of a small model of \lquote wreaths for brick vaulting\rquote (Wren Society 14, p.111).\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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