拍場告示
Please note the attribution of these drawings should read Charles Barry Jun., (1823-1900) and not as stated in the catalogue.
Burlington House was purchased from the Cavendish family in 1854 by the Government 'for public service' but it took some years before it was established exactly what this meant, while administrations came and went. In the end, Burlington House itself was allocated to the Royal Academy, while a number of learned societies were offered accommodation in new blocks to be built round the forecourt. The Royal Academy accommodation was enlarged and altered 1866-76 by Sydney Smirke, while the new buildings, including a frontage to Piccadilly, were designed by Banks and Barry and built 1868-73. Robert Richardson Banks (1813-72) had been an assistant in the office of Sir Charles Barry (1838-47) and then went into partnership with Sir Charles's son, Charles Barry, Jnr. (1823-1900). The RIBA has drawings by Banks and Barry of c.1859 and 1864 relating to a abortive proposal to use Burlington House for a new National Gallery that was in the end built in Trafalgar Square. The present drawing is presumably one of the two by Banks and Barry exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1869, nos. 968 and 972, or by Barry alone in 1873, no. 1118, after Banks's death. The two best-known works by the partners were Dulwich College, south London (1866 onwards) and the new frontage at Burlington House shown here.
We are grateful to Charles Hind for his help with this catalogue entry.