The Soane-Dance Collaboration, 1771-1799

After the publication for Sir John Soane's Museum of aCatalogue of the Drawings of George Dance the Younger (1741-1825)(in 2003) further cataloguing of, and research into, John Soane's early drawings has enabled the reattribution to George Dance of a number of sketch designs previously thought to be by Soane. In particular there are several drawings from the years 1771 to 1784, when Soane was a student and exhibitor at the Royal Academy, a competition entrant, and in the first years of practice. Later sketch designs by Dance for Soane then relate to several phases of the rebuilding of the Bank of England in the 1790s. It has also been possible to identify Robert Baldwin as the draughtsman for many of Soane's early Royal Academy and competition drawings, as well as during Soane's early years in practice, from 1780 to 1785. These discoveries bring to light not only the character of the collaboration between Soane and Dance, but also aspects of architectural practice more generally in the late eighteenth century.