Grand staircase, Burlington House, c. 1977

Sir Hugh Casson PRA (1910 - 1999)

RA Collection: Art

The architect and master watercolourist Sir Hugh Casson PRA made this drawing of the Great Staircase, aggrandising the space into lofty proportions worthy of a baroque palace or an ancient Roman bath. Although admittedly it is drawn with some artistic licence, this is how the visitor feels the staircase to be. Casson's drawing was reproduced as the poster for the 1977 Summer Exhibition. Another, slightly altered version of the watercolour was reproduced on the dustwrapper of the Hugh Casson Diary (1981).