Drawing -- England -- London -- Catalogs; London (England) -- Pictorial works -- Catalogs
47. Deanery of St. Paul's, 1891 (Black and white).
This house was built by Wren, after the Great Fire, on the site of the
former Deanery, but shorn of the chief part of its garden stretching
down to the river, which was portioned off in building leases to
defray the cost of the new structure. In our drawing the high gates
almost concealed the porch, which is ornamented with carved festoons
of flowers. There is also a handsome staircase. Many years ago rooks
used to build in the plane-trees in front. The drawing was taken
from the steps of No. 5 Dean's Court, now destroyed, where was the
Vicar-General's Office for Marriage Licences.
(8-1/4 × 10-7/8) D. 45-1896.
48. Dean's Court, St. Paul's Churchyard, 1894 (Water-colour).
The Deanery stands in Dean's Court, and the wall enclosing it is here
shown on the left, the artist's standpoint being very close to that
in No. 47. In 1894 great changes took place at this spot, which had
before been singularly quiet and old-fashioned. The entrance from St.
Paul's Churchyard was, before, through an archway, under a house dating
from immediately after the Great Fire, which was said traditionally
to have been used by Wren as an office during the rebuilding of
St. Paul's. This house appears in course of demolition, while the
ground on the right lies vacant, and we are thus enabled to have
a glimpse of the cathedral, soon afterwards again quite concealed.
The buildings to the east, facing St. Paul's Churchyard, together
with the Vicar-General's office and other houses on the same side
of Dean's Court, were cleared away to enable Messrs. Pawson and Co.
to extend their warehouses, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners having
granted them a building lease for that purpose. Dean's Court did
not actually form part of the precincts of Doctors' Commons (finally
cleared away in 1867), but was associated with it and in its immediate
neighbourhood. Sam Weller, in "Pickwick," thus humourously refers
to the entrance:—"St. Paul's Churchyard—low archway on the carriage
side, bookseller's at one corner, hotel on the other, and two porters
in the middle as touts for licences." It was here that his father was
inveigled into matrimony.
(8-3/4 × 6-3/8) D. 74-1896.
49. St. Paul's Churchyard, laid out as a Garden (Black and
white).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account