Sir john soane biography sample

Sir John Soane was born at Whitchurch in Oxfordshire, the son of a mason, in September 1753.

Sir john soane biography sample

His real name was Swan, which he changed, first to Soan, and later to Soane. After attending Mr. Baker's school in Reading, the nearby town in which his father worked, John was engaged as an errand boy by the architect, George Dance the Younger, who, observing his artistic talent, took him into his office, and later transferred him to that of Henry Holland, with whom he remained until 1776.

In 1772, Soane gained the Royal Academy silver medal with a drawing of the elevation of the Banqueting House at Whitehall and, in 1776, the gold medal with a design for a triumphal arch, a remarkable composition which also earned for him the travelling studentship.

In March 1777, he went to Italy, where he spent three years, chiefly in Rome, studying the remains of antiquity and making original designs for public buildings. There, he made the acquaintance of Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford, Frederick