Death and Memory in Sir John Soane’s Museum

On 22 November 1815 Soane’s beloved wife Eliza died – a devastating blow to the 62 year old architect and one which led directly to a permanent estrangement from his younger son George. It was a seminal moment in the evolution of the Museum.

In this talk, almost 200 years to the day afterwards, Acting Director Helen Dorey will explore the Soane as a shrine in which death and memory are woven not just into the arrangement of the works of art but into the very fabric of the building itself to create a complex web of allusions to the theme of commemoration and legacy.

Guests will also enjoy an after-hours visit to the exhibition Death and Memory: Soane and the Architecture of Legacy before the talk and a complimentary glass of wine.