Sir John Soane's Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1837 |
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| Location | Lincoln's Inn Fields London, WC2 United Kingdom |
| Collection size | 45,000 objects, approx. 30,000 architectural drawings |
| Visitors | 107,903 (2011–2012) |
| Public transit access |  Holborn |
The Sir John Soane's Museum is a special house museum in Holborn, London. It was once the home of a famous architect named John Soane. He designed buildings in a style called neo-classical.
This museum is full of amazing things! It has many drawings and models of buildings Soane designed. It also holds a huge collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and old objects he collected over many years.
Sir John Soane wanted his house and collections to be kept exactly as they were when he died. So, in 1833, a special law was passed to make sure this happened. This law meant that after his death in 1837, the museum would be looked after by a group of trustees for the whole country.
Since 1988, the museum has been carefully restored. Many rooms, like the drawing rooms and picture room, now look just as they did when Soane lived there. Even his three courtyards have been brought back to their original look. In 1997, the museum bought the house next door, No. 14. This helped them create more space for learning and a special study center for Soane's huge collection of drawings by another architect, Robert Adam.
The museum has paintings by famous artists like Canaletto, Hogarth, and J. M. W. Turner. There are also over 30,000 architectural drawings! Because the museum is packed with so many treasures, only 90 visitors can be inside at one time. This means you might see a queue outside! There aren't many labels, and the lighting is soft. You won't find an information desk or a café here.
Contents
Discovering Soane's Home
How the Houses Grew
Sir John Soane built and rebuilt three houses next to each other in Lincoln's Inn Fields. He started with No. 12 between 1792 and 1794. This was a simple brick house.
Later, in 1806, Soane became a professor at the Royal Academy. He then bought No. 13, the house that is now the museum. He rebuilt it in two steps, in 1808–09 and 1812.
First, he built his drawing office and "museum" at the back of No. 13. He used lots of natural light from above. Then, in 1812, he rebuilt the front part of the house. He added a fancy stone front to the lower floors. These parts were open at first, but Soane later added glass to them. After moving into No. 13, he rented out No. 12. He wanted the rent from No. 12 to help pay for the museum after he was gone.
Soane used No. 13 like a living experiment. He kept changing the inside of the house. In 1823, when he was over 70, he bought a third house, No. 14. He rebuilt this house in 1823–24. This allowed him to build a new picture gallery, connected to No. 13. The front part of No. 14 was rented out and not connected to the museum. When Soane died, No. 14 went to his family and was no longer part of the museum.
The Museum's Special Law
| Sir John Soane's Museum Act 1833 | |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Citation | 3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 4 |
The museum was created during Soane's lifetime by a special law from Parliament in 1833. This law started working when Soane died in 1837. It said that No. 13 must be kept "as nearly as possible" just as Soane left it. And that's mostly how it has been kept!
This special law was needed because Sir John had a son, George. They had many disagreements, and Sir John did not want his son to inherit his property. At that time, sons usually inherited everything. So, Sir John worked hard to get this private law passed. It was a way to make sure his amazing collections would be for everyone, not just his family. The law said that after his death, trustees would look after his house and collections for the nation.
Later, in the late 1800s, No. 12 was connected to the museum. Since 1969, No. 12 has been part of the museum. It used to hold the research library and offices. It also has a gallery for special art shows. The museum's trustees were independent until 1947. Since then, the British Government has given the museum money each year to help run it.
Bringing the Museum Back to Life
The Soane Museum is now a national center for studying architecture. From 1988 to 2005, many parts of the museum were restored. Rooms like the drawing rooms and picture room were painted in their original colors. Objects were put back in their original places. Soane's three courtyards were also restored. A special column made of old building pieces was put back in the main courtyard.
In 1997, the museum bought the house at No. 14. This house was restored from 2006 to 2009. This project helped the museum offer more educational activities. It also moved its research library into No. 14. A special study center was created there for Soane's collection of 9,000 drawings by Robert Adam.
Opening Up the Soane Project
From 2011 to 2016, a big project called "Opening up the Soane" took place. It cost about £7 million. This project finished restoring the museum's old spaces.
The first part of the project started in 2011 and finished in 2013. It changed No. 12. The temporary art gallery moved to the first floor. New reception areas and a shop were added on the ground floor. New conservation studios were also built. For the first time, lifts were added to make the museum accessible for people with disabilities.
The second part restored Soane's private rooms on the second floor. These included his bedroom, book room, and Mrs. Soane's morning room. These rooms opened for public tours in summer 2015. Even Soane's own bedroom and bathroom, which he showed to visitors when he was alive, were recreated.
The third and final part of the project finished in summer 2016. It added a new study room at the back of No. 12. This room helps visitors learn more about Soane. It also restored Soane's ground-floor Ante Room with almost 200 artworks and the old underground areas beneath it.
Soane's Unique Architecture
The most famous parts of the museum are at the back. These include the dome area, the colonnade, and the museum corridor. These areas mostly get light from above. They give you an idea of how cleverly Soane lit his banking halls at the Bank of England.
The Picture Gallery is designed very smartly. Its walls have large "moveable planes," like big cupboard doors. These allow the room to hold three times more art than a normal space of its size! If you visit, you can ask for these planes to be opened to see more art.
The more everyday rooms in No. 13 are at the front of the house. Many of them are very unusual in subtle ways. The Breakfast Room has a domed ceiling with curved mirrors. This design has inspired architects all over the world. The Library-Dining Room has small hanging decorations. These might remind you of old Roman tombs or even Gothic churches. This room is painted a rich 'Pompeian' red color.
The Study room holds a collection of old Roman building pieces. The two outdoor courtyards are also filled with architectural fragments. The Monument Court has classical pieces and a central column made of different architectural parts. The Monk's Yard has medieval stonework from the old Palace of Westminster.
Amazing Collections
Ancient and World Objects
As Soane became more successful, he collected objects that could even be in the British Museum. One of his most expensive artworks was the Sarcophagus of Seti I. This ancient Egyptian coffin is covered in Egyptian hieroglyphs. Soane bought it in 1824 for £2000.
When the Seti sarcophagus arrived in 1825, Soane threw a huge three-day party! About 890 people were invited. The basement where the sarcophagus was kept was lit by over a hundred lamps. Important guests included the Prime Minister and famous artists like J.M.W. Turner.
Other ancient objects include Greek and Roman bronzes, old Roman glass, and pieces of Roman mosaics. There are also cinerary urns and many Greek and Roman busts.
Medieval objects include pieces from the old Palace of Westminster. Soane also collected 18th-century Chinese pottery and old Peruvian pottery. He even bought four ivory chairs and a table. These are thought to have been made in India for a palace.
Sculptures
A white marble bust of Soane himself, made by Francis Leggatt Chantrey, is still in the museum. It sits in the 'Dome' area, looking over the Seti sarcophagus. Soane also bought a plaster model of a sculpture called Nymph unclasping her Zone.
Other sculptures include a plaster model of a memorial for William Pitt the Younger. There is also a model of a monument to Penelope Boothby.
One of the most important ancient sculptures is a small copy of the famous Diana of Ephesus. Soane also bought many old marble pieces from his teacher, Henry Holland. These were collected in Rome.
The museum has plaster casts of famous ancient sculptures. These include the Aphrodite of Cnidus and the Apollo Belvedere. Soane also got a plaster cast of the Sulis Minerva sculpture found in Bath.
Paintings and Drawings
Soane's paintings include works by Canaletto, like a View of the Riva degli Schiavoni. He also owned eight paintings from Hogarth's series A Rake's Progress. He bought these in 1801. He also bought Hogarth's four paintings from Humours of an Election in 1823.
Soane owned three works by his friend J. M. W. Turner. These include two oil paintings and a watercolor. A portrait of Soane by Thomas Lawrence hangs over the Dining Room fireplace. Soane also had a painting by Antoine Watteau.
He owned one oil painting by Joshua Reynolds, called Love and Beauty. This hangs in the dining room. Soane also asked Augustus Wall Callcott to paint The Passage Point -Italian Composition. Other paintings include The Count of Revenna by Henry Fuseli.
Soane collected 15 drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Many of these are framed and displayed. His friend John Flaxman sketched Soane's wife, and this drawing is also displayed. The collection also has 22 works by Charles-Louis Clérisseau.
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Canaletto – View of Venice, The Riva Degli Schiavoni, looking West, c. 1736
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Canaletto – A View of the Rialto
Architectural Drawings and Models
The museum has over 30,000 architectural drawings! Many of Soane's own designs are in 37 large books. Others are framed on the walls. There are also thousands of drawings for his work on the Bank of England and his Royal Academy lectures.
In 1817, George Dance the Younger gave Soane a book of drawings by Christopher Wren. These included drawings of Hampton Court Palace. A big win for Soane's collection was buying 57 books with 8,856 drawings by Robert Adam and James Adam in 1821.
Another important book was John Thorpe's architecture book. It has almost 300 plans of large mansions from the Elizabethan and Jacobean times. Soane also bought drawings from George Dance the Elder and George Dance the Younger. The collection also includes drawings by other famous architects like William Chambers.
There are many Italian drawings too. These include old drawings of Roman buildings and works by Giorgio Vasari.
The museum has 252 architectural models. 118 of these are models of Soane's own buildings, including 44 of the Bank of England. There are also models of ancient Roman and Greek buildings. Some are made from plaster, and 14 are made from cork. There are also 100 models of architectural details. The 20 plaster models were made in Paris and bought by Soane in 1834. They show buildings like the Erechtheion and the Pantheon, Rome as they would have looked when new.
Visiting the Museum
How Many Visitors?
Even today, only 90 visitors are allowed inside the museum at one time. This often means there's a queue outside. There are not many labels, and the lighting is soft. You won't find an information desk or a café. In 2010, about 110,000 people visited the museum.
Who Runs the Museum?
Soane's will said there should be a curator (the person in charge) and an inspectress. Sir John Summerson, an architectural historian, was the curator from 1945 to 1984. He was helped by Dorothy Stroud, the inspectress.
After Summerson, Peter Thornton became curator. Then, Margaret Richardson was the first woman to be curator. She was followed by Tim Knox, who led the "Opening up the Soane" project. This project aimed to restore the museum and make it better for visitors. Later directors included Abraham Thomas and Bruce Boucher. In 2024, Will Gompertz will become the new Director.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Soane para niños
- Soane's country home, Pitzhanger Manor, in Ealing.
- The Dulwich Picture Gallery, designed by Soane in 1811, is a very important building for modern art galleries.
- The Sir John Soane's Museum is similar to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Both have unique collections displayed in a home.
- Sir John Soane is not the same person as Sir Hans Sloane. Sloane's collections helped start the British Museum and the Natural History Museum.
- Sir John Soane's tomb is at the St. Pancras Old Church.
- List of single-artist museums
