Lot 94
94
Office of Sir Charles Barry, R.A., F.R.S. (1795-1860)
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… Read more The Property of the Late Humphrey Whitbread, Esq., sold by Order of the Executors For a note on Sir Charles Barry see lot 92.
Office of Sir Charles Barry, R.A., F.R.S. (1795-1860)

Design and elevation for Westminster Bridge

Details
Office of Sir Charles Barry, R.A., F.R.S. (1795-1860)
Design and elevation for Westminster Bridge
inscribed 'WESTMINSTER BRIDGE/PLAN ELEVATION BY SECTION OF CENTRE ARCH SHEWING [sic] PROPOSED ALTERATIONS/SCALE INCH TO 10 FEET' (lower right) and further inscribed with architectural annotations and measurements
one pencil, on tracing paper; one pen and grey and blue ink and ochre wash, watermark 'J WHATMAN/1842', unframed
20 x 37¾ in. (50.8 x 95.9 cm.); and 21 x 29¼ in. (53.4 x 74.3 cm.); a preparatory drawing of Westminster Bridge on tracing paper, by Thomas Allom; and a lithograph, after Sir Charles Barry, of his design for Westminster Bridge, 1844 (3)
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Barry obviously felt that the neo-classical Westminster Bridge of 1738-50 built by Charles Labelye was out of keeping with his new Houses of Parliament and certainly by 1844 he had designed a new one, which is shown in the engraving. The design differs from the drawing, which appears to be a study in converting the eighteenth-century bridge into a gothic one. The outline sketch on tracing paper, mentioned after the measurements, is a preliminary study for a watercolour by Thomas Allom (1804-1872), which was presented to the Tsar Nicholas I following his visit to London in the summer of 1844. This watercolour is now in the St. Petersburg Academy, Russia. Allom worked with Barry both on the Houses of Parliament and at Highclere Castle (see lot 95).

The present gothic bridge was built from 1854-62 and designed by Thomas Page, with Sir Charles Barry as architectural consultant.

We are grateful to Lady Alexandra Wedgwood for her help in preparing this catalogue entry.

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