Written by Joanna Stock
Photography by Anonymous
Bored on campus or need a break from studying? If you love art and architecture, or just enjoy snooping around fancy buildings, go visit our neighbours over at Lincoln’s Inn Fields the Sir John Soane’s Museum.The former home of its namesake—the famous British architect— is free to visit, and you can walk right in – but arrive early if you want a more quiet visit.
Studying in central London means that we have access to all this art and culture right at our doorstep. In this case, it’s opposite the Sir Arthur Lewis and perpendicular to Cheng Kin Ku.
For architecture lovers, the museum showcases Soane’s original neoclassical designs including famous plans for the Bank of England’s north-west corner. For those who are more artistically inclined, a tiny yet impressive room houses 113 pictures, including Hogarth’s famous series of paintings, A Rake’s Progress and An Election.
Each room has its own niche such as the Monk’s Parlour showcasing gothic antiques. The rooms are curated with a maximalist, eclectic artistic vision, making each space visually interesting and unique. The dark, moody lighting definitely sets the atmosphere, and the museum offers a unique experience by immersing you in the beauty of different sculptures, paintings, statues, drawings and antiques, leaving a lasting impression. The museum also offers paid guided tours, a £5 booklet for more information on the rooms and various artefacts, or do it self-guided like me.
Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the museum is that it is preserved exactly as Soane left it when he died in 1837It boasts an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus of Pharaoh Seti I (who died 1279 B.C.), which lies in the open crypt. Soane bought the artefact for £2000 after the British Museum (a museum already full of colonial pillaging) refused to purchase it for that much.
Obviously, there is nuance to this—a sarcophagus should never have been removed from the Valley of Kings, and had the name of its ‘finder’ permanently inscribed on it. Sociologically, parts of the museum can be seen as a case of Orientalism (an idea coined by Edward Said in 1978) and the essentialising of the other. This is where eastern culture is defined as backward, inferior and violent, and thus controlled and dominated by the West, shaped by this discourse and power imbalance. Soane’s ownership of the aforementioned sarcophagus is just one striking instance of him purchasing cultural objects to store in his own house. Acknowledging and challenging colonialism and colonial practices where we see it is crucial, as history and art should not be stolen from their home and roots.
However, as a teacher, Soane’s aim was to inspire students, and he created the Museum to inspire and educate these visitors. In all honesty, I can say I left impressed, dumbfounded, and most definitely inspired. This is a must-visit before graduating or leaving London. Definitely visit this museum on LSE’s doorstep, but critically remember the colonial processes behind museum curation and archiving.
