Friday, October 4, 2013

Lecture Theater Facade, South Kensington Museum

Captain Francis Fowke of the Royal Military Engineers designed the South Kensington Museum in 1865.


The garden-side facade of the building that's now known as the Victoria and Albert Museum contains three mosaic roundels under the pediment depicting Poetry, Philosophy and History. The designs were based on drawings by Geoffrey Sykes, completed by James Gamble and Reuben Townroe after Sykes' death.


From left to right, Salviati made the roundel depicting Poetry, while History was made by Jesse Rust, and Philosophy by W.B. Simpson.

Sources:
Architectural History of the V&A 1862-63
Ensing, Rita. "Jesse Rust and His Son, Vitreous Mosaic Manufacturers of Battersea." Wandsworth Historical Society,  3.
Wikipedia
Physick, John Frederick. The Victoria and Albert Museum, the history of its building. London: Phaidon, 1982. 177.
British History Online

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