Royston has had exhibitions of architectural designs, mainly by James Wyatt. The first in 1994 at the Michael Simpson Gallery in London.
‘It is as if Wyatt himself had come to life… only the characteristic Wyatt claret stains are missing’
John Martin Robinson in Country Life.
The reproductions, many of them plans for buildings that no longer exist, are in pen and ink with watercolour wash and this provided an opportunity to show some of the lost works.
There is a vast cache of drawings by Robert Adam which was acquired by Sir John Soane and are housed in the Soane Museum in London. Adam’s office was highly organised but Wyatt’s was completely disorganised and his enormous output of work has been all but lost. There are albums in the Victoria and Albert and the Metropolitan, New York, Museums and the National Library of Ireland. Other smaller sets are in private collections.
Wyatt’s richest decorated London town house was at 41 Grosvenor Square, demolished when the square was developed. Some of the ceiling designs are in London with their wall designs in New York and vice versa.
Royston’s perspective views of rooms. English and Russian interiors, were exhibited at Partridges in New Bond Street. Some of these were purchased by people with a personal interest. The exhibition was highly praised and was reviewed in Country Life.
The Home House Etruscan Room was painted on paper and pasted on to the walls of the room. Viscountess Penelope Cobham and partner David Mellor commissioned an interior for their garden folly. The work was included in an article on garden buildings in House & Garden. Decorative moulding in the folly was silver leafed by Fiona. Shutters and door panels were painted for a house in Bath. Decorative mural work has been undertaken for various clients and, more recently, a framed set of history paintings for a library. Miniature paintings in frames are included where applicable in the model interiors.
View the Architectural Drawings Gallery here.