Sir John Soane's Museum

Sir John Soane was a renowned architect ( his most recognised work is the Bank of England) and an art lover and collector.
He hoped that his two sons would follow his path and become architects too, but they showed little interest in art and architecture so Sir John Soane decided to make his knowledge and art collection (that he acquired with time) beneficial to others. Soane was a professor of architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts Architecture Schools. He first opened his collection to his pupils and then to the general public, his house became a museum and is still very frequented by students and worldwide art lovers.

I think that the Soane family story is a common story; similar stories have been heard:the parents expect a lot from their children and end up disappointed by their life choices. To have learned about this aspect of his life and his motivation to create the house-museum makes me feel sympathy for him, I feel it makes him more accessible , he is no longer Sir John Soane but John the guy next door who after his sons told him they did not want to become architects he open his collection to the public...

His house looks, from the outside, very much like any houses on Inn Fields Rd. This is only when you enter that you can realise that his place was/is far from ordinary.

My first feelings when discovering the first few rooms of his house, I felt like I was in Ali Baba’s Cavern but tidier; there are so many objects from the most common to the rarest; I noticed the rooms were not so filled up with objects but the halls and corridors were.

On my visit I made a list of all the objects that I liked; they could be a starting point for a collection of my own or a future project.
-In the first room on the right, I liked the glassed bookshelves, not one empty space.
-The vestibule with archaeology stones up onto the ceiling.
-The plain stained window.
-W. Hogwarts, The marriage, 1697- 1764 in the room of many paintings.
-“Dieu est mon droit” emblem.
-The windows’ view seems to be an artistic composition in itself.
-All the signs that indicate where we could go; West/ South/ Monk Parlour/ Breakfast Room.
-The basement with the tomb and the urns; the outlook from the floor above.
-The ivory table and chairs from India, late 18th century; I liked the pattern.
-The ground floor map of Sir John Soane’s House made by himself.
-The little lobby on the way up the stairs with a pizzaiolo picture look-alike.
-The gold key with the royal arms of William III.
-Bernard Quaritch’s General catalogue of books Supplement 1875-1877 huge!
-The ceiling in the breakfast room, beautiful pattern!