Artwork

Elevations of the interior walls and a plan of the ceiling, Combe Bank

Elevations of the interior walls and a plan of the ceiling, Combe Bank is a drawing by the Baroque artist Roger Morris. It dates from 1728 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

The work is a technical drawing that records the interior architecture of a specific room situated to the southwest of the main Hall at Combe Bank. It combines orthogonal elevations of the side walls with a plan view of the ceiling, and later additions in brown ink annotate dimensions and construction details.

Subject & Meaning

The three panels illustrate the spatial organization of the room: the left and right elevations depict walls fitted with doors, windows and built‑in shelving, while the central panel presents a ceiling layout centered on an oval motif surrounded by smaller arches. The drawing functions as a precise visual guide for the arrangement of architectural elements.

Technique & Style

Executed as a hand‑drawn plan, the piece relies on line work to convey structure, with measured lines and notation indicating sizes, hardware positions and joinery. The later brown‑ink annotations overlay the original pencil, adding a layer of revision typical of on‑site builder’s sketches.

History & Provenance

Created as part of the design process for Combe Bank, the drawing reflects a stage of planning before construction. The addition of brown ink notes suggests it was revisited during later phases of the project. The document now resides in a museum collection, preserving an example of 19th‑century architectural documentation.

Artist & collection

Artist

Roger Morris

Roger Morris drew floor plans and wall elevations for grand 18th-century homes. His ink-on-paper designs show rooms like the Combe Bank Parlour ceiling or the north-side additions, all from the 1720s. These are…