Revised half-elevation of one bay of the choir aisle screen, with part-plan and large-scale details

WRE/4/1/16

c.1693

Sir Christopher (1632–1723) Wren, Nicholas (c.1662–1736) Hawksmoor

Pen and brown ink over pencil, with some pencil shading and amendments. Thick smooth laid paper. 37.0 x 50.9 cm. Watermark: Strasbourg lily WR.

{\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 A more developed design for the choir aisle screen, closer to the fabric. Drawn by Hawksmoor. Datable c.1693. Scales: 2 ft to 1 inch and 2 inches to 1 ft (1 : 6).\par \par In the centre of the sheet is a half-elevation which revises the scheme in WRE/4/1/15 and refines its details. Below, in dotted outline, is a part-plan of the carpentry and masonry at plinth level. Drawn in large-scale detail to the left are the base, entablature and capital of the columns, and to the right the balustrade and back panel of the gallery.\par \par Hawksmoor\rquote s marked dimensions for the columns and entablature are the final ones, save that the columns were increased by 1 inch to 11 ft 3 inches; see Poley 1927, pl.XXVII. The balustrade, marked 2 ft 3 inches high, was heightened in the fabric to 2 ft 9 inches after the Bishop\rquote s Throne was added (see WRE/4/2/1 and 2). Changes were also made to the panels in the doors and other enrichments. Sketched in pencil above the doors are the outlines of rectangular staircase windows (to be given wrought-iron grilles) and oval wreaths (to be carved in limewood as sprays of flowers with palm leaf fronds). The completed choir aisle screen is illustrated in Poley 1927, pl.XXVII\par \par Inscribed in pencil at bottom left in an unidentified hand: \lquote\i outsidie\i0 [sic] \i front in ye side Isles Choire\i0\rquote , and in ink at centre-left by Hawksmoor: \lquote\i The generall Plinth - 1. \i0 [f.]\i 9 \i0 [inches]\i / The Base of the Least / Column ... 8\'b4 / shaft ... 9 . 1 / Capitell ... 1 . 5 \i0 [total:] \i 11.2 / Column in diamr: 1. 2 / Entab: / Architrave - 0 . 7 / frees ... 0 . 10 / Cornice ... 11 \i0 [total:] \i 2 . 4 / The Pill: is 9 \'bd d\i0 [i]\i ameters / The Entab: is 2/9 ths\i0\rquote . Hawksmoor wrote a draft of this legend in pencil on the right-hand side of the sheet and probably marked the inverted scale in pencil at top left. He also wrote the circled number \lquote\i 14\i0\rquote in ink in the top-left hand corner, one of several such numbers he inscribed on drawings in c.1693-94 (see WRE/4/1/11). \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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WRE/4/2/1, WRE/4/2/2