Description:This watercolour shows the interior of the Hermitage, one of the garden buildings built on the Soho Estate by the industrialist and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton (1728-1809). He referred to it as his 'building adapted for contemplation'. It was designed as a rustic building, faced with bark and thatched with ling (heather). A replica (closer to the house than the original) was built as part of the development of Soho House as a museum in 1995.
The image is from the Phillp album, a collection of watercolours and sketches by John Phillp (c.1778-1815). Phillp may have been Matthew Boulton's son but the evidence is inconclusive. He was born in Falmouth, Cornwall and came to Soho in 1793. Boulton paid for William Hollins to teach him architectural drawing in 1795. During his time at Soho he produced designs for silver, plate, medals and tokens.
Conservation and cleaning had to be undertaken on the album before it could be scanned and this was carried out as part of the Digital Handsworth Project.