Explore Collections
You are here:
CollectionsOnline
/
Finished drawing for the first drawing room ceiling, 1773; it is not known if this design was executed (1)
Browse
Purpose
Finished drawing for the first drawing room ceiling, 1773; it is not known if this design was executed (1)
Notes
The first drawing room was located on the first storey, at the front of the house behind the three right-hand bays, between the ante room and the second drawing room. A plan of the house can be found in the second volume of The works in architecture of Robert and James Adam (part 1, plate 1).
According to Harris, this room would have functioned as the principal picture gallery within the house, as it had more unbroken wall space than any of the other reception rooms. Appropriately, therefore, the medallions in the executed ceiling are known to have been painted by Antonio Zucchi.
A rough preliminary design in Robert Adam's own hand, which corresponds with this finished drawing can be seen in Adam volume 52/141, which also includes a preliminary design for the ceiling of the ante room.
As the house was demolished in 1862, and this ceiling was not illustrated in the Works, it is not known if the first drawing room ceiling was executed in accordance with Adam's extant design.
According to Harris, this room would have functioned as the principal picture gallery within the house, as it had more unbroken wall space than any of the other reception rooms. Appropriately, therefore, the medallions in the executed ceiling are known to have been painted by Antonio Zucchi.
A rough preliminary design in Robert Adam's own hand, which corresponds with this finished drawing can be seen in Adam volume 52/141, which also includes a preliminary design for the ceiling of the ante room.
As the house was demolished in 1862, and this ceiling was not illustrated in the Works, it is not known if the first drawing room ceiling was executed in accordance with Adam's extant design.
Level
Group
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