English Regency1800 -

1840Exotic Eclecticism

Rational Classicism

Technological Advancements

Celebration of Light

King George III

history

loses sanity in 1780

King George IV

Prince Regent—power hungry son

history

•interested in architecture and furniture—not in politics•antithesis of Napoleon•doesn’t have to prove himself to anyone

history

dapper man—”dandy”

The Brighton (Marine or Royal) Pavilion

Henry Holland (1790s)

architecture

•English roots with classical feel•where all Prince Regent’s friends from parliament spend their down time

Oriental Scenery

Thomas and William Daniell, 1795 - 1808

history

•like a published journal—watercolors •inspired pavilion to be middle eastern

Royal Pavilion façade, John Nash, 1800 - 1820

architecture

what it looks like today—example of exotic eclecticism

architecture

hindu/mogul architecture—horseshoe arch & minarets

Nash added the Music Room and the Banqueting Room to Holland’s

plan

architecture

doubled square footage by adding two large rooms—used for parties

architecture

onions—not useable space; could not see onion domes inside

interiors

•embedded modular, prefabricated cast-iron construction•decorative structural component—all about theater

structure

interiors

design details: horseshoe arch; tassels; massive occulus, trompe l’oeil sky

saloon

Royal Pavilion Kitchen

interiors

•advancement in gas lighting—frosted globes on pulleys•Nash contracted out the interiors to Krase & Jones firm

interiors

always hiding structure

structure structur

e

Royal Pavilion - Hall

Royal Pavilion – Hall – Current View

interiors

interiors

•almost every surface is reflective•ceiling does not need to be supported from above

Royal Pavilion – Music Room

interiors

dragons writhing

interiors

dragons holding up drapery

interiors

Prince wants to feel like he is living the life of a sheik

dragon

A Rare Pair of Regency 'Brighton Pavilion' Style

Bamboo End TablesOf wonderful colour and proportion. Each with an

octagonal caned top, bordered by bamboo above six bamboo trellised sides. Decorated, with shredded bamboo, in the Chinoiserie taste which is repeated on

each panel.

Bamboo furniture was considered appropriate for interiors in the Chinoiserie

taste. It became the vogue in the Regency period with the creation of Brighton pavilion and continued through the

first quarter of the nineteenth century.

English, Circa 1830

furniture

motifs

•wallpaper—Chinese influence•birds/blossoms•not perspectively accurate

Settee in the Egyptian Taste from the Egyptian Room, Duchess Street, London, 1802, Thomas

Hope

furniture

furniture

furniture

Regency ChairAburra wood with

carved and gilt decoration from Northumberland

House, 1823.

furniture

architecture

•from very exotic to extremely rational•stripped classicism•really experiments with space, materials (honesty)•enamored with light—rarely used gas light

Rational Classicism:looks at its essence, rationalizes it and strips it down

architecture

•blind arch—windows are just punched out•classical entry

architecture

•no added ornamentation•showing masonry construction throughout

architecture

Bank of England - Facade

•1788-1830—originally designed by Robert Taylor•neo-palladian style•bank was financing the Napoleonic war

architecture

architecture

Sloane completely gutted it for fire retardant reasons

architecture

•bank needs to make you think your money is safe•decorative corners/severity

architecture

architecture

original section

architecture

Soane realized that ruins communicated like construction documents

Rotunda

architecture

•shows you how it is made•Greek key motif incised into the dome•caryatids reference to classicism•requires light for appreciation of detail

interiors

Soane often referred to “the poetry of light”—all the things light can do for his interiors

architecture

Soane’s romantic image of light

Stock Officeinteriors

•pendentive arch—just resting on corners•classical figures•just a rectangular room with a series of dropped ceilings over it—groin vault

interiors

Bank of England

Dividend Office

interiors

•domes are thin masonry•creates a new material—a brick and tile morphed into one•extreme abstraction of a classical column

interiors

Soane: use of light; abstraction of classicism; gives you some clue as to its construction

interiors

Soane: use of light; abstraction of classicism; gives you some clue as to its construction

Soane House – Museum - Facade

architecture

rents

rents

lives in

•balustrade is classical renaissance•tripartite composition•roman arch•bumps out façade of his own row house•abstracted column

Soane House Plan

architecture

•lightwells•side hall/party wall construction•each house has 3 openings—door, window, window

architecture

classical column capitals next to abstracted column

Soane House – Dining Room

interiors

design details: compartmentalized ceiling, 2D roman swags shows construction—not masonry; appears to be exterior window—actually on a light well

interiors

Soane House – Dining Room

interiors

•convex mirror•meticulously placed throughout the house

Soane House Gallery/Crypt

interiors

•earliest at bottom, latest at top•no floor—very picturesque

interiors

•has skylight•all classical busts, urns metopes

Soane House Museum Section

interiors

•explored many different types of volumes—punched through ceiling

Soane House Museum Section

interiors

crypt

breakfast room

Soane House – Breakfast

Room

interiors

•convex mirrors•segmental pendentive—gives it a weightless, floating feel•perhaps most famous space

interiors

•very shallow classical ornamentation—guilloche, rosette

•convex mirrors—also used to reflect light—help you to see “through” the architecture

Soane House Museum

Crypt

exteriors

•designed his own burial place