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London: Parliament House (designs for). Unfinished design for the lower part of a portico with basement and external staircases. Also on the sheet is a plan of staircase and landings; two details of a panelled door; geometric diagrams.
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Reference number
Adam vol.7/202
Purpose
London: Parliament House (designs for). Unfinished design for the lower part of a portico with basement and external staircases. Also on the sheet is a plan of staircase and landings; two details of a panelled door; geometric diagrams.
Aspect
Elevation, plans, details
verso details
Inscribed
Inscribed in ink in a later hand a chair on other side
Signed and dated
- Undated, probably 1762-63
Medium and dimensions
Pen, grey wash, black chalk with brush try-outs in upper left
265 x 400
Hand
James Adam, Office of
Verso
Design in black and brown chalks for a baldacchino showing a detail for the top of the canopy, the throne and a view of canopy and throne on steps; details of decoration. This shows clearly how the throne was to be placed below the baldacchino. The inspiration for his design lay in examples found in numerous Roman churches, of which the baroque baldacchino for St Peter's by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was the most notable, and that for Santa Maria Maggiore of c.1743 by Ferdinando Fuga (1699-1782) the most contemporary. The baldacchino is also shown in Adam vol.7/70 and there is another throne design on the verso of Adam vol.7/210. The leg details may be compared with those in Adam vol.7/97 verso.
Notes
All these drawings and sketches on both recto and verso are connected with James Adam's Parliament House scheme of 1762/63. The part of the portico at the lower part of the sheet is a sketch for the elevation in Adam vol.7/77.
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