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  • image SM Adam volume 49/6

Reference number

SM Adam volume 49/6

Purpose

[44] Design for a pilaster for the great drawing room, c1779, as executed

Aspect

Elevation of an ornamental pilaster, with a central painted panel flanked by bands of beading, thyrsi, and lozenges enclosing arabesques and anthemia. The central panel is ornamented with a pedestal embellished with festoons suspending a pendent oil lamp, rosettes and ram masks, and this is surmounted by an urn. Above this, bands of calyx enclose an anthemion bearing a fountain ornamented with gadrooning and beading, and a cameo, depicting winged sphinxes, enclosed by arabesques. This is surmounted by a further cameo, depicting a draped figure, and a rosette, both enclosed within a figure-of-eight wreath of oak leaves. Above this a tubular flower supports further wreaths enclosing anthemia, and a roundel depicting winged putti. This is surmounted by an urn, ornamented with gadrooning, flanked by beading with suspended peltoid shields, and surmounted by arabesques, a tubular flower, and a draped figure bearing urns. Above this there are further arabesques and tubular flowers bearing an oil lamp which is ornamented with ram masks and swags and surmounted by an urn bearing drop calyx. Above this there are calyx, arabesques and anthemia, a rosette enclosed within a foil roundel, and a tubular flower surmounted by a tablet containing a rosette, enclosed within a lozenge, flanked by arabesques. The tablet has an apron of beading, suspending rosettes, and is surmounted by anthemia, arabesques and an Etruscan urn ornamented with draped figures

Scale

full size

Inscribed

Design of a Pilaster for Sir Abraham Hume (in the hand of William Adam, underwritten in pencil) / painting (pencil)

Signed and dated

  • c1779
    c1779

Medium and dimensions

Pen, pencil and coloured washes on laid paper including pink, sepia, verdigris, Indian yellow and cerulean blue on laid paper (312 x 3354)

Hand

Possibly
Office hand, possibly Joseph Bonomi or Robert Morison

Verso

Sir Abraham Hume / preliminary plan (pencil)

Watermark

GR surmounted by a fleur-de-lis within a crowned cartouche, JWHATMAN

Literature

Bolton, 1917, p. 6
Bolton, 1922, Volume II, Index p. 41
King, 2001, Volume I, pp. 24, 304
For a full list of literature references see scheme notes.

Level

Drawing

If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk