Architectural Tracings from the Drawing Matter Collection and the Sir John Soane’s Museum: Materiality, Function, Conservation

Together, the Drawing Matter Collection and the Sir John Soane’s Museum hold an exemplary corpus of architectural drawings produced by tracing, dating from the mid-sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century. Viewed individually, the drawings speak to the distinct practices of the architect. While certain drawings are testament to educational practices (learning how to draw), and the architect’s desire to assemble exempla for reference, others illuminate the needs of a given project and the development of a design concept. Taken together, the traced drawings might point to developments in practice, the use of tracings, and the evolution of transparent paper.

Organised by Anna Bortolozzi (Stockholm University) and Elizabeth Merrill (Ghent University) in collaboration with the Sir John Soane’s Museum, the full day workshop aims to bring together historians, architects, artists, museum professionals and conservationists in the examination of early modern architectural drawings produced by tracing. The aim is to foster an open dialogue about the function of tracings in the history of architecture and how we understand these unique objects today. Registered participants will receive a selection of texts and images to consult prior to the workshop.

If you are interested in attending Architectural Tracings from the Drawing Matter Collection and the Sir John Soane’s Museum: Materiality, Function, Conservation, please email workshops@cyrildrawingmatter-org

The deadline for registration is 1 March 2026. Registered participants will receive a selection of texts and images to consult prior to the workshop.

Monday 16 March
10.00–17.00

We encourage students to attend.

The workshop is supported by the ERC grant “Copying as Common Practice in Early Modern Architecture” (CCPEMA, 101077744).