Signed Copy: Architectural Drawings: Hidden Masterpieces from Sir John Soane's Museum by Frances Sands

Exclusive copy signed by Dr Frances Sands, Curator of Drawings and Books at Sir John Soane's Museum. Limited availability. A visual feast, this large format volume presents some of the finest architectural drawings from the collection of Sir John Soane's Museum. Architectural Drawings: Hidden Masterpieces from Sir John Soane's Museum casts light on the magnificent architectural drawings of neo-classical architect, teacher and collector, Sir John Soane that are otherwise concealed in his extensive archives. This book features artworks handpicked from what was probably the first comprehensive collection of architectural drawings in the world (numbering some 30,000 at the time of Soane's death in 1837) and celebrates a life spent procuring curiosities. The collection encompasses the hands of Montano, Thorpe, Wren, Talman, Hawksmoor, Vanbrugh, Gibbs, Kent, Chambers, Adam, Wyatt, Playfair, Nash and, of course, Soane himself. The quality of Soane's collection of drawings is scarcely paralleled elsewhere and these items are rarely seen by the public on account of their fragility. This innovative book draws together the most exquisite and important works from the collection for the first time, showing the extraordinary connoisseurship of Sir John Soane; at the same time it explores what drove him to amass such a collection and lays out the provenance of his various significant acquisitions. This book illustrates Soane as a remarkable collector and provides a sumptuous opportunity to peruse some of the finest architectural drawings in existence. Signed by the author. Hardcover, 180 pp. Measures 40 cm x 30 cm.