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London: Parliament House (designs for). Design for a fountain on an architectural base with water jet from an urn supported by three figures. The drawing is partly overlapped by the design for a throne with royal arms supported by a lion and unicorn on the head of the back, with two cabriole legs and stretcher, heavily decorated and upholstered. Also on the sheet is detail of leg with ball and claw foot.
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Reference number
Adam vol.7/210
Purpose
London: Parliament House (designs for). Design for a fountain on an architectural base with water jet from an urn supported by three figures. The drawing is partly overlapped by the design for a throne with royal arms supported by a lion and unicorn on the head of the back, with two cabriole legs and stretcher, heavily decorated and upholstered. Also on the sheet is detail of leg with ball and claw foot.
Aspect
Elevations
verso details
Signed and dated
- Undated, probably 1762-63
Medium and dimensions
Black chalk
421 x 276
Hand
James Adam, Office of
Verso
Design in black chalk for a domed baldacchino with four columns on steps with a throne; above is a detail of a baldacchino dome supported by dolphins. The finished drawing for the baldacchino is in Adam vol.7/70.
Notes
The drawings on both recto and verso are part of James Adam's Parliament House scheme of 1762/63. The fountain here is a sketch for that in Adam vol.7/109 but differs considerably in detail. The throne is probably an alternative to the more classical design shown in Adam vol.7/202 verso and was also intended for below the baldacchino as the drawing on the verso makes clear. 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.
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