For Sir John Soane, Pitzhanger’s gardens were as important as the Manor, which he designed as a space for hospitality and entertainment centred around food. In his kitchen gardens, he grew a variety of herbs and vegetables, and he kept the lake stocked with fish not only to provide dinner but also an opportunity for social interaction.
Sir John Soane designed Pitzhanger as his country house between 1800-1804 to create a showcase for his architectural skills, as well as his growing collection of artefacts. It soon became his elegant stage set for the entertainment of friends, celebrities and potential clients: he threw grand garden parties and held fascinating dinners for the beau monde of the time. Guests included the artist JMW Turner, a fellow academician, with whom Soane enjoyed fishing in the lake at Pitzhanger, and numerous other personalities from the worlds of finance, politics, theatre, journalism and literature.
Sir John Soane and JMW Turner were idiosyncratic and unique talents, creating works that, to this day, inspire pleasure and wonder.
Visit Pitzhanger Manor, former home of neo-classical architect Sir John Soane, for an evening of talks about three important collections of art and objects and how they were assembled
Join us for our second London Luminaries Live event at Orleans House Gallery on Twickenham’s historic riverside for a panel
discussion on ways in which our partners bring contemporary art into dialogue with cultural
heritage. There will be speakers from Pope’s Grotto, Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery, Orleans House Gallery
and Boston Manor House. There’ll be free guided tours of Orleans House Gallery before the discussion.