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Purpose

Design showing laid out wall elevations for the entrance hall, c1770-78, executed with minor alterations (1)

Signed and dated

  • c1770-78
    date range: 1770-78

Notes

The entrance hall is located on the principal storey of Robert Adam's central block, in a three-bay projection at the centre of the principal (north) front, adjacent to the staircase, with the dining room (later the music room) beyond. It is a large rectangular room with apsidal ends. Unusually for Adam, this is the only room at Mellerstain which is not a basic rectangular shape.

More typically of Adam, this hall makes use of a masculine and martial decorative scheme. Stillman has noted the use of an enriched Doric frieze - although there are no Doric orders here - with ornamentation in the metopes, similar to that found in Adam's halls at Newby Hall, Harewood House and Mersham-le-Hatch.

Adam's laid out wall elevations for the entrance hall (Adam volume 43/45) includes a chimneypiece, which survives in situ, and sculpture-filled niches in the apses. However it is not known of the sculptures were ever provided for these niches.

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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

Contents of Design showing laid out wall elevations for the entrance hall, c1770-78, executed with minor alterations (1)