A catalogue of the drawings of George Dance the Younger is a highlight of recent books on architecture and design

Apollo, April, 2004 by David Watkin

A valuable appendix contains an account of his unusual colour schemes and of his drawing techniques under headings such as '"Trace" or "setting out" lines', 'Second thoughts', 'Green ink'; while another appendix, on 'Building elements', covers topics such as 'Metal windows', 'Indirect lighting', and 'Starfish or cross-vaulted ceiling'; further appendices deal with 'Building services' and 'Tradesmen'.

The last portion of this magnum opus is devoted to the elder Dance, architect of the Mansion House, and Clerk of the Works to the City of London, a post in which his son, the younger Dance, succeeded him in 1768. A catalogue of the drawings of the elder Dance is followed by a catalogue by Sally Jeffery of the drawings by both Dances for the Mansion House from 1738 to 1800; and finally by catalogues of the prints and drawings in the separate collections of the elder and younger Dance.

In 1836, only months before his death, Soane bought Dance's drawings from Dance's son, housing them in the great chest known appropriately as the 'shrine'. John Summerson, at the end of his life, said to me, 'Dance is the key to Soane', pointing out in particular the library assembled by Dance, who, having been educated at St Paul's School in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, was one of the best educated of English eighteenth-century architects. His extensive library included books on buildings which had inspired him, written by their architects, including Jacques Gondoin's Description des ecoles de chirurgie (1780), and Victor Louis' monograph on his theatre at Bordeaux (1782). If only Dance had followed their example by publishing a book, or even an essay, on a building such as his masterpiece, Newgate Gaol, how much more would we able to comprehend his unique and mysterious achievement!