The Deepdene

In 1807, the year after his marriage, Hope bought The Deepdene, a large house set in a hilly wooded landscape of great natural beauty near Dorking in Surrey. Just as he had challenged conventional urban taste with his novel interiors at Duchess Street, he now rethought what a modern country house should look like.

The Deepdene was a red-brick Georgian mansion, dominating not adapting to the scenery of the valley in which it stood. Hope remodelled it with a loggia-topped Italianate tower on which to pivot the whole composition and added a wing shooting out at an angle of 45 degrees on a sloping site.

This asymmetrical grouping blended the house into its irregular landscape as recommended by recent theorists of the Picturesque.

There is less record of the interiors of The Deepdene than of Duchess Street, but its exteriors were depicted in enchanting watercolours, shown together here for the first time. These watercolours provide a vivid record of The Deepdene's delectable mingling of architecture and nature, of its conservatories, terraces, garden steps and sculpture galleries.

They were commissioned by John Britton for a book on The Deepdene as an expression of Picturesque theory in the country. This was intended to parallel the book that Britton published in 1827 on Sir John Soane's house, which showed the Picturesque in town. Unfortunately, the book on The Deepdene was never completed.

  • Theatre of the Arts 1825-6

    For John Britton, Illustrations of the Deepdene Seat of T. Hope Esqre. By William Henry Bartlett (1809–54) Theatre of the Arts 1825–6 Watercolour and pen and wash on paper

    This watercolour provides a vivid record of The Deepdene's delectable mingling of architecture and nature, of its conservatories, terraces, garden steps and sculpture galleries.

    This series of watercolours were commissioned by John Britton for a book on The Deepdene as an expression of Picturesque theory in the country. This was intended to parallel the book that Britton published in 1827 on Sir John Soane's house, which showed the Picturesque in town. Unfortunately, the book on The Deepdene was never completed.

  • Chimney piece in the Library

    For John Britton, Illustrations of the Deepdene Seat of T. Hope Esqre. By William Henry Bartlett (1809–54) Chimney Piece in the Library 1825–6 Watercolour and pen and wash on paper

    This watercolour provides a vivid record of The Deepdene's delectable mingling of architecture and nature, of its conservatories, terraces, garden steps and sculpture galleries.

    This series of watercolours were commissioned by John Britton for a book on The Deepdene as an expression of Picturesque theory in the country. This was intended to parallel the book that Britton published in 1827 on Sir John Soane's house, which showed the Picturesque in town. Unfortunately, the book on The Deepdene was never completed.

  • Entrance Court, looking towards the Tower

    For John Britton, Illustrations of the Deepdene Seat of T. Hope Esqre. By William Henry Bartlett (1809–54) Entrance Court, Looking Towards the Tower 1825–6 Watercolour and pen and wash on paper

    This watercolour provides a vivid record of The Deepdene's delectable mingling of architecture and nature, of its conservatories, terraces, garden steps and sculpture galleries.

    This series of watercolours were commissioned by John Britton for a book on The Deepdene as an expression of Picturesque theory in the country. This was intended to parallel the book that Britton published in 1827 on Sir John Soane's house, which showed the Picturesque in town. Unfortunately, the book on The Deepdene was never completed.

  • Steps to the Conservatory

    For John Britton, Illustrations of the Deepdene Seat of T. Hope Esqre. By William Henry Bartlett (1809–54) Steps to the Conservatory 1825–6 Watercolour and pen and wash on paper

    This watercolour provides a vivid record of The Deepdene's delectable mingling of architecture and nature, of its conservatories, terraces, garden steps and sculpture galleries.

    This series of watercolours were commissioned by John Britton for a book on The Deepdene as an expression of Picturesque theory in the country. This was intended to parallel the book that Britton published in 1827 on Sir John Soane's house, which showed the Picturesque in town.

  • Conservatory Leading to the Library

    For John Britton, Illustrations of the Deepdene Seat of T. Hope Esqre. By William Henry Bartlett (1809–54) Conservatory Leading to the Library 1825–6 Watercolour and pen and wash on paper

    This watercolour provides a vivid record of The Deepdene's delectable mingling of architecture and nature, of its conservatories, terraces, garden steps and sculpture galleries.

    This series of watercolours were commissioned by John Britton for a book on The Deepdene as an expression of Picturesque theory in the country. This was intended to parallel the book that Britton published in 1827 on Sir John Soane's house, which showed the Picturesque in town. Unfortunately, the book on The Deepdene was never completed.

  • he Small Drawing Room

    For John Britton, Illustrations of the Deepdene, Seat of T. Hope Esqre, The Small Drawing Room ,by William Henry Bartlett (1809-54), 1825-6, watercolour and pen and wash on paper

    This watercolour provides a vivid record of The Deepdene's delectable mingling of architecture and nature, of its conservatories, terraces, garden steps and sculpture galleries.

    This series of watercolours were commissioned by John Britton for a book on The Deepdene as an expression of Picturesque theory in the country. This was intended to parallel the book that Britton published in 1827 on Sir John Soane's house, which showed the Picturesque in town. Unfortunately, the book on The Deepdene was never completed.

Tags: