Competition Drawing for Foreign Office Design

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Whitehall

When this work was sold through Christie's, London, in 1969, the catalogue entry gave the following information:

‘In 1856, after the collapse of the 18th century house to the south of Downing Street, instead of obtaining designs for a new War Office and Foreign Office from the chief architect to the Office of Works, Sir James Pennethorne, it was decided to hold a competition. At this stage two separate buildings were to be erected. The winners for the Foreign Office design were Coe and Hofland (Coe was a pupil of Sir Gilbert Scott). Palmerston, however, put the scheme aside and, following a change in government, in 1858 Scott was appointed to draw up designs.’

Places

England, London, Whitehall: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall

Subjects

architectural plan/technical drawing, man, street, government building, facade, window

Materials & Techniques

paper (as artists material), ink, ink wash, Ink drawing, wash

Artist

Henry Edward Coe (c.1826 - 1885)
Henry H Hofland (c.1828 - )

Title

Competition Drawing for Foreign Office Design

Date

1858

Medium

Pen and ink and wash on paper

Dimensions

height: 91.50 cm, width: 168.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Christie's, 17 June 1969

Provenance

Collection of neurologist Professor Rodger William Gilliatt (1922-1991) and Mrs Mary E. Gilliatt; by whom sold through Christie's, London, 'Fine English Drawings and Watercolours' sale, on 17 June 1969 (Lot 154), as 'A Design for the Foreign Office' by Henry Edward Coe and Thomas Richard Hofland; from which sale purchased by Richard Walker on behalf of the Ministry of Works

GAC number

8521