Will Gompertz

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

The sun is always shining over Apollo ☀️ Museum Director Will Gompertz introduces us to one of the standout pieces in the Museum – a full size plaster copy of a famous roman statue of the Apollo Belvedere. Positioning the statue in the Dome gave Soane the perfect opportunity to play with light, framing Apollo, the god of the sun, with orange and yellow skylights so he appears to have the sun behind him each day. Visit on a bright day and he’ll be flooded in the most beautiful amber glow 🧡 #soanemuseum #discoverlondon #londonmuseums #londonhistory #architecture #whatsonlondon

A reminder for your next visit to always look up, as there are surprises hiding in every direction! 🤩⬆️ This terracotta maquette by 16th century Italian sculpture Giovanni Bandini is the model for the full-size figure of 'Architecture' that would go on Michelangelo's tomb in the Church of Santa Croce, Florence. What’s interesting is that in the earliest Museum inventories, Soane describes it as 'Small model of a sitting female figure (with hands broken off)’, indicating that he was never fully aware of its significance as the figure of architecture. Have you spotted this small sculpture in the Museum? You can find this piece up high in the Lobby to the Breakfast Room 👀 #soanemuseum #londonmuseum #whatsonlondon #londonhistory #architecture

This was the final object Sir John Soane placed in his Museum, before his death in January 1837🪽 The figure of Victory is bathed in glorious golden sunlight from the stained glass window in the Breakfast Room, and impossible to miss on visits to the Museum! Behind it hangs a watercolour of the Soane family tomb in St Pancras Gardens – a sign, perhaps, that he felt in bequeathing his Museum to the nation he had affirmed his legacy and conquered death. Interestingly, there are more winged goddesses throughout the Museum – have you spotted any?🔎 #SoaneMuseum #Sculpture #Architecture #Design #LondonHistory #LondonMuseums

Pompeii like you’ve never seen it before… @soanemuseum Director @wgompertz gives us a tour of this fantastic cork model of the ancient town - one of ten classical objects from the Museum which you can respond to, in written verse or spoken word, in our CA Poetry Competition. Open to all ages! Win a share of £2000 and a special trip to the Museum courtesy of our friends at the Soane 🏆 Head to the link in our bio and enter now before 27 February ✍️ 🗣️ #poetofinstagram #poetrycompetition #oracy #spokenword #soanemuseum

THE JOHN SOANE X MINECRAFT COLLAB THAT ALLOWS YOU TO EXPLORE ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE The Sir John Soane Museum in London has been recreated in Minecraft blocks, allowing children from across the world to explore the incredible architectural museum & ancient civilisations. Read & See More at: https://recessed.space/00312-Soane-Museum-Minecraft Link in bio ----- Digital twins are nothing new in architecture. The creation of a virtual, entirely digital, version of a proposed or existing building in order for different construction teams to work live on the same design, or for post-occupancy management and functioning of a completed project is now fairly common within the industry. Building Information Modelling software – or BIM, for short – such as Autodesk Ecosystem, Revit, Microsoft Azure, NVIDIA Omniverse, or IBM Maximo are regularly used in construction. A computer programme less commonly found in relation to important architecture is Minecraft… At the Soane Museum in London, however, the children’s construction software has been used to create an experiential model of the famed museum, allowing users to not only explore a blocky version John Soane’s former house, but also create designs using the architects’ toolkit. Titled Soane’s Portals to the Past, the digital 3D model has been created by Blockbuilders, a UK-based third-party developer, for Minecraft Education, and is now available alongside lesson plans for free. ----- @minecraft @soanemuseum @blockbuilders.co.uk lulahsmarties @wgompertz @mojang_net

THE JOHN SOANE X MINECRAFT COLLAB THAT ALLOWS YOU TO EXPLORE ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE The Sir John Soane Museum in London has been recreated in Minecraft blocks, allowing children from across the world to explore the incredible architectural museum & ancient civilisations. Read & See More at: https://recessed.space/00312-Soane-Museum-Minecraft Link in bio ----- Digital twins are nothing new in architecture. The creation of a virtual, entirely digital, version of a proposed or existing building in order for different construction teams to work live on the same design, or for post-occupancy management and functioning of a completed project is now fairly common within the industry. Building Information Modelling software – or BIM, for short – such as Autodesk Ecosystem, Revit, Microsoft Azure, NVIDIA Omniverse, or IBM Maximo are regularly used in construction. A computer programme less commonly found in relation to important architecture is Minecraft… At the Soane Museum in London, however, the children’s construction software has been used to create an experiential model of the famed museum, allowing users to not only explore a blocky version John Soane’s former house, but also create designs using the architects’ toolkit. Titled Soane’s Portals to the Past, the digital 3D model has been created by Blockbuilders, a UK-based third-party developer, for Minecraft Education, and is now available alongside lesson plans for free. ----- @minecraft @soanemuseum @blockbuilders.co.uk lulahsmarties @wgompertz @mojang_net

Take a closer look at one of the most eye catching paintings in the North Drawing Room, with Museum Director @wgompertz 🤩 Soane commissioned the artist George Jones RA to produce ‘The Opening of London Bridge, 1831’, to celebrate the Royal Procession at the opening of the bridge in August of that year, where Soane himself was in attendance 👑 Look closely at the painting and the framed key below, and you’ll spot not only Soane but also some other famous figures! 👀 Photo: @celiarogge #soanemuseum #discoverlondon #londonmuseums #londonhistory #architecture #whatsonlondon

Discovering rare William Blake drawings in Sir John Soane’s Library 📖 Museum Director @wgompertz and Archivist Sue Palmer reveal a series of engravings by William Blake, found in Soane’s copy of an Edward Young poem titled ‘The Complaint, and the Consolation’. The narrative of the poem is brought to life by Blake’s stunning illustrations, which have survived in beautiful detail. What makes this copy even more special is that it’s believed to be one of only a handful that were hand-coloured by Blake or his widow🖌️ We’ve partnered with art publishers @avant.arte on three limited edition prints celebrating these exquisite William Blake illustrations, which launch later this month. There’s only a few days left to enter the draw to collect – head to the link in our bio to learn more or visit avantarte.co/williamblake. 📷Photos: Courtesy of @avant.arte #WilliamBlake #SirJohnSoanesMuseum #LondonMuseum #BehindTheScenes #discoverlondon

18th-century Venice in the heart of Sir John Soane’s Museum 🖼️✨ The beautiful ‘Riva degli Schiavoni’ by Canaletto is a visitors favourite – and one of Director @wgompertz favourites too! The largest of three Canaletto’s purchased by Soane, this painting depicts an almost photographically-rendered view of the famous promenade of Venice. Hung opposite the Picture Room door and visible from the Dome, its size and exquisite detail make it feel less like a painting and more like a window onto the Venetian waterfront🌊 Do look out for it on your next visit 🤩 #soanemuseum #discoverlondon #londonmuseums #londonhistory #whatsonlondon #Canaletto #ArtHistory

A room full of gothic gargoyles and the ghostly presence of Padre Giovanni… 👻 Director @w_gompertz shares the story behind the spookiest room in the Museum – the Monk’s Parlour. As a neoclassicist architect working during the gothic revival, Soane wanted to both satirize the rising fashion for Gothic antiquarianism but also show potential clients his willingness to create picturesque arrangements of gothic art and architecture. We’d love to know what conversations took place around this table... 🧛Our Halloween Late has now sold out, but you can still experience this atmospheric space after dark in our November Late🔗Link in bio for tickets!🕯️ #LondonMuseums #SoaneMuseum #VisitLondon #DiscoverLondon #OldLondon #MuseumLates #Halloween

𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐒𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥!🥇 Vriesendorp was co-founder of OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) alongside Rem Koolhaas and Elia & Zoe Zenghelis in 1975, where she produced surrealist, mystical and comedic paintings in support of the firm’s work, giving architectural theories playful and memorable identities to help explain complex architectural ideas. Each year the Soane Medal recognises someone who has furthered and enriched the public understanding of architecture. This year, the Award recognises Madelon’s lasting contribution to architecture and the legacy of the designs, images and paintings she has created, which continue to influence the architects of today and tomorrow. She will collect her Award at @royalacademyarts in London on Tuesday 18 November, where she will give a thought-provoking lecture on the role of the artist in architecture, followed by a drinks reception. 🎟️Tickets are available now via our website (link in bio) Images: (1) Madelon Vriesendorp in her studio. Photo: Tilly Buckroyd (2 & 3) Flagrant Delit, Netherlands Dance Theatre, and Après L’Amour. Photos courtesy of the artist, Madelon Vriesendorp. #SoaneMuseum #SoaneMedal #MadelonVriesendorp #Design #Architecture #DesignAwards #London #LondonMuseums #JohnSoane