Finished study-design for the revised section and vault plan of the Dean’s Vestry

WRE/2/3/12

1678–79

Sir Christopher (1632–1723) Wren, Edward (c.1635–1695) Pearce

Pen and brown ink over incised lines and pencil under-drawing, with grey wash and some pen shading. Thick laid paper, with small tears in area of glue staining in bottom third (perhaps caused by lifting sheet from earlier mount). 49.2 x 26.9 cm. Countermark: IHS surmounted by cross, over C (?) (very faint).

A finished study by Edward Pearce, developed from the design of the upper vault in WRE/2/3/11, but not showing the profile and panelling of the vault as constructed. Datable 1678-79. Drawn scale, just under 3 ft to 1 inch (10 ft = 88 mm). Pearce’s hand is recognisable from the double-rule scale-bar with rightward slanting numbering, and the fluent pen outlines combined with grey wash. He raised the vault 9 inches higher than in WRE/2/3/11 and the floor of the upper vestry another 6 inches on top of this, so that the overall height of this floor above the lower one is 19 ft, as in the fabric. However, he did not amend the plan to show the shallower arches and the deeper relief panels implied by the steeper section of the vault. He drew these deeper relief panels on his section but did not draw the arch that should intersect the vault on the left side. Thus the drawing is still work-in-progress rather than a design for execution. It nevertheless conveys very effectively the relief qualities of the stone-carved motifs: crossed swords in wreaths in the wider panels (for the Dean of St Paul’s) and garlands sprouting from acanthus flowers in the narrower ones. The sprouting acanthus flower motif is characteristic of Pearce’s independent carved work and suggests that he played a leading role in the revision of the design of the vault.

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.