Sir John Soane's Museum

Every doorway is like a portal to another world✨ Soane’s clever design of No 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, as well as his use of large mirrors and windows, means that almost every space in the Museum offers a carefully framed view into another, with unexpected sightlines across the house 🖼️ Where do you find yourself stopping to look? 📸: (1) @kirstymclachlan (2&3) @celiarogge #SoaneMuseum #WhatsonLondon #Architecture #LondonHistory #LondonMuseums

𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 | 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐩: 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 🎲 A major retrospective celebrating the surreal, subversive practice of artist Madelon Vriesendorp will open at Sir John Soane’s Museum this July. Mind Games will feature over 50 works created or collected by the 2025 Soane Medal winner, which reveal the artist’s ability to transform everyday materials into unexpected sources of humour, beauty and inspiration. A large-scale version of her celebrated Mind Game will also be showcased in the Foyle Space, allowing visitors to closely examine a series of purposefully chosen objects that comprise a psychoanalytical toolkit. 📅14 July – 20 September 2026 🔗Find out more at soane.org (link in bio) 📸(1-2) Afterlife of the Mind Game, no. 1 (2025) and Endgame (2025) by Madelon Vriesendorp. (3) Madelon Vriesendorp in Sir John Soane's Museum #SoaneMuseum #WhatsonLondon #LondonExhibitions #VisitLondon #Exhibitions

Have you had a chance to explore 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗵: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 yet? Soane was a great admirer of Vanbrugh’s work, referring to him as ‘The Shakespeare of Architects’, and his office produced several large watercolours of Vanbrugh’s buildings to illustrate his lectures at the Royal Academy of Arts, such as these drawings of Blenheim Palace on display in the exhibition. Blenheim Palace was one of Vanbrugh’s most important works, often hailed for its ornamental profusion. But Soane’s watercolours here – depicting Blenheim in full, half and low light – show that its architectural forms, even its silhouette, were equally accomplished. Swipe to see all three ➡️ 🖼️ See these wonderful pieces, as well as many other drawings of Vanbrugh’s major and experimental projects, in 'Vanbrugh: The Drama of Architecture', on display at Sir John Soane’s Museum until 28 June 2026. Photo: @gardnergareth | #Vanbrugh300 celebrations are organised by @thegeorgiangroup #JohnVanbrugh #GeorgianArchitecture #WhatsonLondon #LondonExhibition

Is there anything better than losing track of time in a museum? 🕙✨ Consider this your sign to slow down and spend time with art. Plan your visit via the link in our bio. We’ll see you soon! 🤩 #SoaneMuseum #ThingsToDoInLondon #whatsonlondon #londonmuseum

Aren’t these 16th-century Flemish School illustrations exquisite? ✨ Books of Hours were illuminated prayer books used by Roman Catholics from the Middle Ages onwards. The more wealthy the owner, the more lavish the decoration, so it’s no surprise this one is of exceptional quality. It was created in 1512 as a gift for Johanna, wife of Fernando of Aragon, from Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg. A calendar of religious feast days and saints’ day is paired with vivid imagery, depicting the seasonal labours of the peasantry as well as the leisure activities of feudal lords, revealing an increasing interest in depictions of everyday life throughout the 15th and into the 16th century. Soane acquired this beautiful book in 1833, purchasing it for the sum of £735 from the 1st Duke of Buckingham and adding it to his growing library. You can see it on display in ‘Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ at @compton_verney until 28 June 2026 🖼️ Photo 5: ©Compton Verney/ Jamie Woodley #SoaneMuseum #Drawing #JohnSoane #Design #VisitLondon #comptonverney #FlemishSchool

Spring sunshine pouring into the Museum reveals details hiding in plain sight 🤩 Look closely at the large plaster rosette which adorns the centre of the dome in the Museum and you’ll spot small panes of red and orange glass, illuminating the rosette in a beautiful amber hue 🧡 Before Soane built the Dome we see today in 1833, he had designed a much more elaborate structure, filled with blue, crimson and yellow glass. These small colourful panes of glass are all that remain of the original dome, quietly tucked away behind the rosette. Come and see for yourself this weekend, we are open the whole Bank Holiday, including Monday 4th May – we look forward to seeing you then! 📸Kirsty McLachlan #SoaneMuseum #HiddenLondon #OldLondon #DiscoverLondon #LondonMuseums #VisitLondon #WhatsonLondon

Have you ever seen an art gallery quite like this?🖼️😍 Museum Director @wgompertz gives us a behind-the-scenes look at this unique space. Soane was 71 when he designed the Picture Room in 1824, a space no bigger than thirteen foot square, where he combined elements of gothic and the classical, and of course employed his favourite top lighting to illuminate the gallery, first developed at @dulwichgallery The most celebrated and surprising effect in this room however is the moveable planes, which allowed Soane to have three times as many paintings on display than a room of this size could usually hold – 118 to be precise, including pieces by Hogarth, Canaletto, Turner and Watteau🎨 Have this incredible space unveiled to you on one of our Highlights Tours, or join a panel opening during the week – more info on our website! #soanemuseum #discoverlondon #londonmuseums #londonhistory whatsonlondon #artgallery

We love this recent shot of the Dome at dusk 🤩 As the sun sets over the Museum the atmosphere shifts. The last of the day's light is tinged with amber and gold from Soane's skylights, and shadows creep across the space - completely magical ✨ Join us for our next Twilight Tour or Soane Late event to experience the magic of the Museum after it closes. Book your tickets via the link in our bio! 🎟️ 🕯️ Twilight Tour, 17 April, 6pm 🌛 Soane Late: The Drama of Architecture, 24 April, from 6pm 📸: @kirstymclachlan #LondonMuseums #SoaneMuseum #VisitLondon #DiscoverLondon #OldLondon #MuseumLates #WhatsonLondon @soanemuseumevents

Nestled among paintings by Hogarth, Canaletto and Piranesi in the Picture Room is this exceptional piece by Swiss artist Henry Fuseli - 'The Italian Count'🖌️ Fuseli, who served as Professor of Painting at the Royal Academy for six years, was renowned for his imaginative style, creating unsettling works exploring the supernatural, literary and psychological. Though he created three versions of this painting, this is the only one known to survive. It was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1780, which may be where Soane first came across it, however it wasn’t until 1802 that he added it to his growing collection✨ 📸: (1) Elena Bazu #soanemuseum #whatsonlondon #LondonHistory #Architecture #DiscoverLondon #Painting #Fuseli #LondonMuseum

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 | 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆: 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗶𝗻𝘀 🏛️ This autumn, Michael Landy’s powerful drawings of iconic buildings in ruins will be brought together in Sir John Soane’s Museum; a unique opportunity to experience a leading contemporary artist in meaningful exchange with an important historical collection. The exhibition places Landy’s drawings in dialogue with J.M. Gandy’s visionary depiction of the Bank of England as a Roman ruin on display in Sir John Soane’s Museum - the artwork that first inspired Landy’s meticulous series. 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆: 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗶𝗻𝘀 will feature new and recent work, including his own version of Soane’s Bank of England in ruins, and an exciting new work depicting visions of Sir John Soane’s Museum itself in ruins, reflecting Landy’s decades-long exploration of capitalism, consumerism and destruction. 📅14 October 2026 – 17 January 2027 🔗Visit soane.org for more info (1)Michael Landy, Oh! What a falling off do these ruins present. Sir John Soane’s Museum as a ruin, 2026, watercolour, permanent pen on paper © Michael Landy. Courtesy the artist and Thomas Dane Gallery. Photo: Prudence Cuming Fine Art Photography (2)Michael Landy, Imaginary view of The Bank of England in ruins after Joseph Michael Gandy, 2024, lithograph © Michael Landy. Courtesy the artist and Thomas Dane Gallery. (3) Architectural Ruins: A Vision (an imaginary view of the Rotunda at the Bank of England in ruins) by Joseph Michael Gandy, 1798. © Sir John Soane’s Museum, London. Photo: Geremy Butler #SoaneMuseum #WhatsonLondon #LondonExhibitions #JohnSoane #MichaelLandy #FutureRuins #VisitLondon #Exhibitions

Today marks 189 years since the passing of the Sir John Soane’s Museum Act (1833), when the Museum officially opened to the public 🎉🖼️ Each year, we continue to discover more about the history of this unique collection. One way we do this is by gathering historic images, which help contribute to our ongoing conservation and restoration works, giving us a unique insight into how the Museum has changed over time 📸 Amongst the earliest images we have is this one of the Picture Room c.1897-1907, showing some of the first electric lights in the Museum. The second slide gives a view of the Breakfast Room, recording the way a 19th-century Curator rearranged Soane’s stained glass – a change that lasted until 1918! Can you help us piece together the history of our objects and interiors? We are always looking to expand our archive - if you can share your own photos or memories of the Museum from across the years or suggest a source we may not yet know of, we would love to hear from you!✨ #SoaneMuseum #JohnSoane #OldLondon #LondonMuseums #ArchitecturalHistory #LondonHistory #VisitLondon #LostLondon #Photography #Collections #LondonPhoto #Architecture

Take a break from grey skies and step into Soane’s sunny Drawing Rooms, glowing with the most vibrant yellow paint 💛☀️ The North Drawing Room feels like a continuation of Soane’s iconic Picture Room with walls covered in more incredible artworks, including an eye catching painting by George Jones RA of the opening of London Bridge in 1831, and an atmospheric historical seascape by J M W Turner - so much to see! We are open all weekend, including Bank Holiday Monday, so do pop by to enjoy this incredible room for yourself. Or join a Highlights Tour to explore the collection with one of our expert guides🤩 🔗Plan your visit via the link in our bio 📸(1) @johnlstead (2-3) @celiarogge #soanemuseum #discoverlondon #londonmuseums #londonhistory #architecture #whatsonlondon