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London: Parliament House (designs for). Design showing an equestrian figure on a plinth. The rider is in Roman costume with a baton in one hand and reins in the other, wearing a victor's garland.
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Reference number
Adam vol.7/40
Purpose
London: Parliament House (designs for). Design showing an equestrian figure on a plinth. The rider is in Roman costume with a baton in one hand and reins in the other, wearing a victor's garland.
Aspect
Elevation
Signed and dated
- Undated, probably 1762-63
Medium and dimensions
Pencil, pen, brown wash with white heightening, partly oxidised, on grey washed paper
207 x 158
Hand
Antonio Zucchi (attributed to)
Notes
This is the alternative view to that in Adam vol.7/39 with the horse's head turned to the right and with the arm holding the baton bent. Both drawings are based on the classical monument of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the Campidoglio in Rome, and in this they share the same source as Adam vol.7/36. Statues of this sort are referred to in James Adam's unfinished essay on architectural theory of 1762, where the grouping of sculpture is recommended: '... in these cases an equestrian statue may do well and military trophies are a noble resource...' (J. Fleming, Robert Adam and His Circle in Edinburgh & Rome, London, 1962, p.318). The designs for military trophies may be seen in Adam vol.7/71.
The set of pen and wash drawings with heightening, Adam vol.7/21-44, are all designs for the relief decoration of James Adam's Parliament House scheme of 1762/63. The predominant theme is British history and the figures are dressed in either early seventeenth-century or classical costume. The principal draughtsman was Antonio Zucchi (1726-95), although some of the figure compositions are probably the work of Agostino Scara, of whom James Adam wrote that he '... draws figures full as well as Brunias...' (J. Fleming, Robert Adam and His Circle in Edinburgh & Rome, London, 1962, p.279). Adam gave great emphasis in his Parliament scheme to the role of decorative sculpture and this probably explains the survival of so much material of this sort. In his unfinished essay on architectural theory of 1762, Adam explained: 'What is meant by outside decoration is sculpture, statues and bas-reliefs, together with foliage, trophies, frets, interlacings and a thousand such ornaments which, if properly applied, give such amazing magnificence and render an ediface so wonderfully interesting...' (Fleming, op.cit., p.317).
The set of pen and wash drawings with heightening, Adam vol.7/21-44, are all designs for the relief decoration of James Adam's Parliament House scheme of 1762/63. The predominant theme is British history and the figures are dressed in either early seventeenth-century or classical costume. The principal draughtsman was Antonio Zucchi (1726-95), although some of the figure compositions are probably the work of Agostino Scara, of whom James Adam wrote that he '... draws figures full as well as Brunias...' (J. Fleming, Robert Adam and His Circle in Edinburgh & Rome, London, 1962, p.279). Adam gave great emphasis in his Parliament scheme to the role of decorative sculpture and this probably explains the survival of so much material of this sort. In his unfinished essay on architectural theory of 1762, Adam explained: 'What is meant by outside decoration is sculpture, statues and bas-reliefs, together with foliage, trophies, frets, interlacings and a thousand such ornaments which, if properly applied, give such amazing magnificence and render an ediface so wonderfully interesting...' (Fleming, op.cit., p.317).
Level
Drawing
Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation
If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk