D R A W I N G V 45

has less opportunity for dramatic effect as all four sides are a similar length and relatively small compared to Fountain court. However, its positioning after a sequence of narrow partially covered overheard and the busy roadside along Fleet Street provides a strong contrast as it is the end of this highly varied journey from North of the site, the opposite direction of the drawing. S.R.J captures the character of this space very well. It is a combination of the foliage within the scene, the level change, and the opposing qualities of spaces, (New Court being narrow and shaded, Fountain Court being open and light). It is not clear if S.R.J made a distinct attempt to document the area in detail with the intention of expressing the nature of the plan of the space and its irregularities, however, all of these factors are part of what makes this drawing so successful for communicating the picturesque and displaying irregularity in perspective.

D R A W I N G VI:

Lombard Street is a view taken at the junction of King William Street and Lombard street that captures the vista facing East-South-East. The drawing shows the elevation of buildings on the left, receding into the distance, building details are partially drawn to give a sense of the architectural character. The elevation of St. Mary Woolnoth is to the right of this facing the surface of the page and provides a sense of symmetry as a façade drawn in detail. S.R.J’s position when taking reference for the drawing is elevated from street level, as the view gazes over people on the street in the foreground. Vehicles, people and street furniture provide context as you look into Lombard Street, where the perspective leads your vision with a church spire in the background. Lombard Street is one of seven main arteries that lead to Cornhill, present-day Bank. As mentioned earlier in the introduction, picturesque locations can often be attributed to the plan’s natural formation based on the existing topography. Within the city of London, there are many examples of this, there is a distinct character of the street here being narrow, skewed and winding both in plan and elevation that creates a unique visual experience. Figure 23.

The shape of the street is a concave form, splaying downward toward the South before curving up again when looking at the plan view (Right). Lombard street is a good example of the effect of the winding street as the building facades on the left of the page do not follow the linear perspective line due to their undulation and the street can be visibly seen to recede behind the

church of St.Mary Woolnoth. Thus the irregularity in the plan is visible in the perspective view and adds to the variety in the drawing. As well as the concave nature of Lombard street, the junction in the foreground also widens which provides functionality to the space for traffic and gathering. Today the space is predominantly pedestrianized with underground access. This allows a sightline up toward Lombard street and having visited the site myself, it appears to be an attractive vantage point in otherwise narrow streets. As represented in S.R.J’s drawing, St.Mary Woolnoth presents its detailed façade to the space in front, optimising its location and creating a place at this junction. This is not immediately evident when looking at the drawing, but the irregularity in the plan has created variety in the perspective scene such as the experience of elevations facing different directions, figures occupying the space in the foreground and the juxtaposed scene that derives directly from the planning of the street. In conclusion, Lombard Street is a successful personification of a space that possesses activity that reflects irregularity. Every element within the drawing suggests that there is a lack of uniformity. The people crossing the street, varying levels of shade and detail on building facades and the flecked effect of the pencil on the surface of the picture.

The drawings discussed within this chapter mostly display irregularity in the way they are drawn, fading towards the edges of the composition, with Gray’s Inn Hall as the exception, all drawings contain irregularity within them in this way. We can see that S.R.J does apply the qualities of irregularity by selecting locations where the planning techniques used to direct the user’s view promote places that are not uniform. In most cases, to the boldest building within the place (main characteristic building of the area), or conceal the user’s view and prolong the revelation of the view chosen. He adopts a similar technique with the order of his drawings, presenting a variety of pictures. Despite the fact that he often represents linear and regular forms, there is a free-hand quality to his drawings that also creates the instances of irregularity in his works.

Figure 22: Lombard Street by Sydney R. Jones 1922.