Join us as we travel back to Georgian London for a live tour of Sir John Soane’s Museum, the extraordinary house of the British architect Sir John Soane (1753-1837). The house and extensive contents, carefully collected and displayed by Soane, were left to the nation through a private act of parliament in 1833 which stipulated that they be preserved as exactly the time of his death, giving the impression of an architectural time capsule. The Museum’s Director, Bruce Boucher, will lead a live tour of the Museum, taking you through key rooms and pointing out star objects from amongst the antiquities, furniture, sculptures, architectural models, drawings and paintings amassed by Soane in his lifetime. These include paintings by Reynolds, Canaletto and Hogarth and the famous Dome area where a cast of the Apollo Belvedere presides over the sarcophagus of Seti I. The tour ends in the newly restored Drawing Office, the oldest surviving architectural office of its kind.
This event is part of Archtober’s virtual Travel To series, in partnership with Bloomberg Connects. The Travel To series seeks to highlight Bloomberg Connects partners that feature iconic architecture and historically significant sites across the United States and around the world. Join us as curators, preservationists, historians (and more!) bring these places and spaces alive in the comfort of your home.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Bruce Boucher has been Deborah Loeb Brice Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum since 2016. Prior to this he has had a long and distinguished career teaching at University College, London, and as a curator at The Art Institute of Chicago and director of the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia. An art historian and curator specialising in Renaissance and Baroque sculpture and architecture, he is the author of books on Palladio and on Italian Sculpture and has recently completed a book on Soane as a collector, which will be published next spring. He is a corresponding member of the Ateneo Veneto in Venice and a Fellow of the London Society of Antiquaries.
About Archtober’s Guide on Bloomberg Connects:
Archtober’s Guide on the free Bloomberg Connects App is for anyone interested in connecting with architecture and design. Whether you are an architectural historian, a design enthusiast, a student, or someone having their first architecture experience, the Archtober Guide is designed to help you explore notable contemporary and historical sites across New York City’s five boroughs. Learn more about the Archtober Guide here.
Dr. Bruce Boucher, Deborah Loeb Brice Director, Sir John Soane’s Museum
