Maria Celesta Cola, ‘Travelling to Naples: drawings and views by Robert Adam’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XXV, 2017, pp. 151–166 TEXT © THE AUTHORS 2017 TRAVELLING TO NAPLES: DrawingS AND ViewS BY RObert ADAM MARIA CELESTE COLA The journey to Naples was an essential part of the the ruins was a wonderful opportunity to review programme of study and experience for all young preconceived ideas and to experiment with new artists living in Rome in the mid eighteenth century. models.3 The foremost aim of his trip to Italy was For Robert Adam, exposure to the archaeological to gather as many drawings as possible in order to remains there brought a deeper understanding of create a documentary ‘archive museum’ on his return the ancient buildings he had seen and recorded in to England, sparked by his desire to go beyond the Rome, and served to stimulate his development as a beaten paths of the Grand Tourists. He spent three Neoclassical architect. This article aims to re-create, years in Rome, from 1755 to 1757, accumulating a through his many drawings and views, the journey he store of knowledge and making sketches, but Italy took from Rome to Naples in the company of Charles- boasted several other important artistic centers. Louis Clérisseau, and his interest in the antiquities He had already visited Florence in 1755, where, in shared with other British and French artists. the home of Ignazio Hugford, he had met Charles- Louis Clérisseau. That experience influenced obert Adam’s journey to Rome in April everything that followed in his career. The journey R1755 was an experience of fundamental to Naples was an essential part of the programme of importance for his education. Through the study study and experience for all young artists living in of the magnificent ruins of the Phlegraean Fields Rome in the mid eighteenth century, and, for Adam, (Campi Flegrei), west of the city, he broadened his exposure to the archaeological remains there brought knowledge of the architecture of Ancient Rome. a deeper understanding of the ancient buildings The experience influenced everything that followed he had seen and recorded in Rome, stimulating his in his career, and was a significant chapter both development as an architect. in his life and in the history of England’s cultural Rome had the richest and most sustained relationship with Italy. tradition of painting in Italy, but Naples was also Neapolitan drawings were common among the an extraordinary centre for the study of classical French ‘Piranesian’ group frequented by Adam antiquity. Ancient Neapolitan paintings and in Rome,1 and they expanded his repertoire of drawings circulated in the Roman art market, the ancient world’s models upon which he based allowing those who had not gone to Naples to the foundation of his own style. Like most young learn an extraordinary repertoire. That was the European architects who arrived in Italy around case with William Kent, who was in Rome between mid-century,2 he was already interested in the 1709 and 1719.4 In Rome he had spent time at the study of ancient architecture; direct contact with workshop of Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari, and THE GEORGIAN GROUP JOURNAL VOLUME XXV TRAVELLING TO NAPLES : DRAWINGS AND VIEWS BY ROBERT ADAM who was, in Adam’s words, ‘Superior to me at present [...] for greatness of thought, nobleness of invention, design and ornamentation’.7 Clérisseau had learned the lessons of perspective from Giovanni Paolo Pannini and had elaborated a new vision of landscape in which animation gave way to the perfect framing of monuments..Adam, unlike the landscape and ‘plein-air’ artists who were overcome by the charm and beauty of the sites overlooking the Gulf of Baia (Baiae),8 by the awesome spectacle of Vesuvius, and by the crater (solfatare) at Pozzuoli, was intrigued above all by the way in which ancient architecture was experienced in its surrounding landscape. A comparison between his drawings and those of Clérisseau shows their different styles; Clérisseau used human figures and colour to enliven his views, whereas Adam was more attracted to the archaeological remains themselves. Rather than surveying and measuring temples and ancient monuments, as William Chambers had done a year earlier by measuring the Temple Fig. 1. Paolo Antonio Paoli, Avanzi delle antichità esistenti of Serapis in Pozzuoli, Adam made his drawings a Pozzuoli Cuma e Baja, Naples 1768, tab. II. in order to gather information. He abandoned the ruler and compass in order to depict architecture more swiftly with the paintbrush, drawing upon a more poetic approach to landscape. Paolo Antonio had studied the ancient paintings and ‘grotesque’ Paoli in the Avanzi delle Antichita’ esistenti a decoration in the Golden House (Domus Aurea) Pozzuoli, Cuma e Baia, published in Naples in 1768 of Nero.5 After his return to London, he painted a (Fig. 1), used a similar point of view to Adam’s, but pioneering ‘grotesque’ ceiling at Kensington Palace, the Abbé de Saint-Non in his Voyage pittoresque and at Chiswick House he used a Neapolitan model (published in Paris between 1781 and 1785 but for the ceiling of the Link Room, identified by planned between 1759 and 1760) drew instead, where Richard Hewlings thanks to a comparison with an not aided by Hubert Robert and Fragonard, on a ornamental design drawn at Pozzuoli and now in the different tradition: that of Vernet’s earlier sentimental Devonshire Collection.6 views of Naples, two of which, from the Duke of Before travelling to Italy Adam had spent eight Northumberland’s Collection, were reproduced by years in his father William’s office. His aim now was Saint-Non (Fig. 2–3). to make a fresh start by devoting himself to the study Adam was captivated by what he saw as the of landscape, figure drawing and perspective under absolute beauty of ancient architecture. His drawings the guidance of Jean-Baptiste Lallemand, Laurent were created over a whole month at a time when Pecheux and Charles-Louis Clérisseau, emulating the Neapolitan scholars of the newly-founded the Roman apprenticeship of William Chambers, Accademia Ercolanense, established only a few THE GEORGIAN GROUP JOURNAL VOLUME XXV TRAVELLING TO NAPLES : DRAWINGS AND VIEWS BY ROBERT ADAM Fig. 2. Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non, View of Naples from the Riviera di Chiaia, from Voyage pittoresque ou Description des Royaumes de Naples et de Sicile, Paris 1781–1785. Fig. 3. Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non, View of Naples from the Torrione del Carmine, from Voyage pittoresque ou Description des Royaumes de Naples et de Sicile, Paris 1781–1785. THE GEORGIAN GROUP JOURNAL VOLUME XXV TRAVELLING TO NAPLES : DRAWINGS AND VIEWS BY ROBERT ADAM months prior to his arrival (15 December, 1755), ‘I was never more pleased and surprised with anything were delaying publication of his drawings of the than the appearance of the people upon approaching Naples Sunday night […] The suburbs contained new discoveries at Herculaneum in the Antichita’ di above three thousand people who danced along 9 Ercolano. The Neapolitan architects complained the road to music of all different kinds in the most meanwhile that there were more foreigners visiting antique and Bacchanalian manner I ever saw, whilst and drawing the ancient remains than ‘i nostri others were assembled in gardens, at the doors of letterati’, as Mario Gioffredo wrote in his treatise their houses, in drinking, eating and gaming. These on the architectural Orders in 176810. These, multitudes of men, women and children, their gay dresses and active spirit, formed a most delightful after all, were the years in which a series of works scene… The town is a perfect beehive, swarming with were published on the ancient architecture of coaches, chariots, chaises and people and though the Mediterranean, widening the boundaries of very large every street is in confusion from morning knowledge and transforming European architectural to night. Let it suffice to say it is infinitely the most 18 culture, notably Winckelmann’s Gedanken über die crowded place I ever beheld’. Nachahmung (Thoughts on Imitation), published in Dresden in 1755. Here it was stated with absolute A few days later he complained to his mother about clarity that ‘the only possibility for us, to become the heat, the coachmen’s driving and the confusion great, and if possible, inimitable, is the imitation of of the streets that prevented him even from going The Ancient’.11 to purchase a lighter suit.19 The city’s notorious Thanks to the contacts acquired from the artists traffic problems did not prevent him, however, from he met in Rome, Adam ‘s journey to Naples was buying, just before leaving, ‘very handsome snuff prepared with great care, thanks perhaps to Jean- boxes of yellow and black tortoise-shell, studded Baptiste Lallemand,12 from whom he took landscape with gold and gold hinges’: objects in great demand lessons and who had been in Naples between 1749 in Naples, together with the famous white lava snuff and 1750. Adam was introduced to Neapolitan boxes (Fig. 4). He later observed that ‘one is so tired society by the Scottish Abbé Peter Grant, who going from one place to another in the great heats accompanied him to the city,13 and he also contacted here that when one comes home one can do nothing. the English Ambassador James Gray, special envoy At present the sweat drops from my fingers in a room in Naples from April 1755. Gray introduced him to without a fire at nine o’clock at night’.20 His opinion the English colony that frequented the Palazzo Sessa, about Naples did not change, and in a letter written and also to Camillo Paderni, director of the museum at the end of April he wrote that ‘Rome pleases me of antiquities at Portici established by the Bourbon more than this place.’ King Carlo;14 thanks to their mutual friend Allan Adam and Clérisseau arrived to Naples from Ramsay,15 Adam was given permission to draw the the Appian Way (Via Appia) on Sunday, 6 April many objects found in the Herculaneum excavations.