Collections in focus

Robert and James Adam: The Grand Tour Correspondence and Writings 1754-63

The first-hand experience of We are pleased to announce the launch of figurative details that Robert and James ancient Roman architecture a new art and architectural history project had gathered on paper while residing in was the catalyst of the Adams’ – the creation of an open-access, digital Rome. A thorough understanding of this critical edition of all the known Adam formative period, as it emerges from the remarkable new style. The brothers’ Grand Tour letters and writings, brothers’ correspondence, is hence vital letters and journals they wrote hosted on the website of Sir John Soane’s in order to shed light on Neoclassical on their Grand Tours form an Museum, with publication scheduled for architecture and decoration as a whole. extraordinary resource – one 2022–23. This material constitutes one of the In October 1754, Robert Adam left Dover which is now being turned into last great collections of unpublished 18th- on the first leg of a Grand Tour. His prime an open-access digital edition, century documents, capturing a seminal destination was Rome, where he resided moment of transformation in European art until May 1757. Rome was at the time the write Adriano Aymonino and and architecture. Its online publication will artistic capital of Europe, flooded with visiting Colin Thom constitute a major resource for historians architects, artists, dealers, connoisseurs of the period. This is a collaborative venture and collectors, whose antiquarian interests between Colin Thom of the Survey of London, and activities helped define the emerging at UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture, and Dr Neoclassical style and the birth of archaeology inform his creative process as an architect. into the world of mid-century European art Singular & Clever’. The letters and journals Below Robert Adam, Adriano Aymonino of Buckingham University’s as a discipline. The first-hand experience of Adam was quick to realize his deficiencies as and architecture. Robert Adam’s relationship are also rich in information on the Roman Capriccio of capricci, Department of History and History of Art. It has ancient Roman architecture transformed a draughtsman and then worked supremely with Piranesi was fruitful enough for the political milieu of the time, such as the Papal c.1757, pen, brown and grey washes, Soane the support of a Digital Project Grant from the Adam and was the catalyst of his remarkable hard to overcome them, and he saw the great Venetian printmaker to dedicate his Il courts of Benedict XIV (r. 1740–1758) and Museum, Adam vol. Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. new style – a revolutionary form of classicism, potential for his architect brothers John and Campo Marzio dell’Antica Roma (1762) to Adam. Clement XIII (r. 1758–1769), the exiled Stuarts 56/59. All photographs The Scottish brothers Robert (1728–92) and aimed at an enlightened British clientele, James to enjoy the same benefits. Robert’s When Robert wrote from Rome in July 1755 in Rome, or the activities of diplomats and by Hugh Kelly. © Sir John Soane’s Museum, London, James Adam (1732–94) defined the British most of whom had experienced the Grand younger brother and architectural partner to tell his brother James of this proposal, he cardinals. The best represented is Cardinal unless otherwise stated architectural style of the late 18th and early Tour. This metamorphosis was something James eventually followed his example and said that Piranesi was also ‘just now doing Alessandro Albani, Winckelmann’s patron, 19th centuries. The success of their innovative that Adam was aware of at the time and is undertook his own Grand Tour in 1760–63. Two Drawings for me, which will be both from whom the Adam brothers bought for King brand of Neoclassicism rested upon the free catalogued in many of his letters from Rome. The letters and journals written by the and inventive way in which they adapted At first he wandered the city for several days Adams at this time form an extraordinary the architecture of the classical past to the in a haze, awestruck by the majesty of its resource, which remains mostly unpublished. cultural and political aspirations of Britain’s ancient remains: ‘Here are Amphitheatres, They offer first-hand information not only on ruling classes. The new decorative language Triumphal Arches, Fragments of Temples, And the activities and aspirations of the brothers they forged in British country and town-house other antiquities, So grand, So noble & awful at the start of their independent careers, but Above Nicolas François commissions such as Syon House, Kedleston that it realy fills the Mind with a reverential also on the culture of the Grand Tour, on the Daniel Lhuillier, Frieze Hall and Osterley Park in the 1760s and 70s fear & Respect’. Then came a realization that difficulties of travelling and the practicalities from the Aula Regia in put them at the forefront of dynamic changes here was the opportunity for him to become of trading in antiquities and art in mainland Domitian’s Palace, c. 1763, red chalk, taking place in European architecture. And ‘the Man I may be’, and develop ‘a Taste Europe, and on the artistic melting-pot Soane Museum, their influence was widespread, the Adams much Superiour to what I ever thought of that was Rome in the mid-18th century. Adam vol. 26/131 being among the few British architects whose before I saw Rome’. The impact on Adam can Replete with references to the leading Right Robert Adam, work made an impact abroad, not only in be seen in the many imaginative sketches artists and theorists whom they encountered Capriccio of a vaulted and Europe but also in Russia and North America. and capricci of classical ruins that he made – such as Clérisseau, Piranesi, Winckelmann, coffered hall, c.1756-7, One of the great sources of the ‘Adam in Rome, combining and reusing elements Mengs, Cavaceppi, Gavin Hamilton and Allan pencil, pen, brown and grey washes, Style’ was the vast repertoire of ancient from Roman monuments, reinterpreting and Ramsay – the Adam brothers’ Grand Tour Soane Museum, Roman architectural, decorative and reshaping antiquity in a way that would later correspondence provides invaluable insights Adam vol. 56/145

12 The Architectural Historian Issue 11 / September 2020 The Architectural Historian Issue 11 / September 2020 13 Left Giovanni Battista of the original documents. Furthermore he Piranesi, Capriccio, c. rarely provided dates for his quotations, or 1745-50, red, black chalk, ink, brown proper references, making it difficult for wash, Soane Museum, readers to follow up any interesting leads. Adam vol. 56/146 Based on new and accurate transcriptions,

Below Robert Adam, this digital edition will bring together for Capriccio for a vast the first time all known 238 Adam letters symmetrical building of the period, as well as various additional (detail), 1757, pen, pencil and grey wash, related writings, preserved today in various eight joined sheets, repositories. The foremost collection of 206 Soane Museum, Adam letters is that belonging to the Clerk family vol. 28/001b. Heritage Partners. © Sir John of Penicuik, currently on long-term deposit Soane’s Museum, London with the National Records of Scotland at Register House, Edinburgh (class GD18), and we are delighted to have the full backing and support of Sir Robert Clerk and the NRS. Scans of the original letters and writings will be George III the ‘Paper Museum’ of Cassiano largest surviving collection of Adam letters, displayed online, alongside the transcriptions. dal Pozzo, the very first attempt at a visual Fleming’s study remains one of the finest Introductory essays by the project leaders, encyclopedia of the world, produced in the books on the Adams, but it is not without based on new research, will provide historical mid-17th century. The correspondence is its shortcomings. Naturally he had to be background and perspective; scholarly also filled with informative descriptions of selective, using extracts from the letters to footnotes and annotations will offer a parallel the social and material life of mid-century tie his narrative together, but that narrative commentary on all aspects of the Adam Italy, such as the religious festivities, the tended to emphasise the social aspects brothers’ lives and works, their family, and Carnival, or the day-to-day practicalities of the Adams’ activities, rather than the on Rome in the 1750s–60s. The edition will of the various foreign communities of architectural, so that the bulk of the collection also contain a bibliography and browsable travellers residing in the papal capital. and many important facets of the brothers’ index, as well as a full-text search facility. This correspondence is of course well Italian tours remain to be investigated and As custodian of over 9,000 Adam drawings known to historians of art and architecture understood. Fleming also took the decision as well as books and objects collected by from John Fleming’s pioneering 1962 volume, to modernise spellings, capitalisation and the brothers, the Sir John Soane’s Museum Robert Adam and his Circle in Edinburgh and punctuation, which, though understandable, remains at the centre of Adam studies. The Rome. Written shortly after the discovery of the distances us somewhat from the character Museum will act as the host institution

for the digital platform that will house the and the construction of the database. project partners: Victoria and Albert database and content for this critical edition. We currently have a project website at Museum / RIBA Drawings Collection and This will allow for easy interaction with the https:// adamgrandtour.online, which Archive; The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies Soane’s online catalogue and images of the provides further information and will offer in British Art (Yale University); London brothers’ Grand Tour drawings, enabling periodic updates as the project progresses, Metropolitan Archives / City of London. n researchers to enhance their understanding and we would be delighted to hear from of the letters via the drawings and vice versa. anyone who has information that may Above Robert Adam, Capriccio showing the Work has already begun with the image be of interest to us. We can be contacted remains of a circular capture and transcription of many of the at [email protected]. temple and an urn, letters in public repositories. Editing and In addition to the academic institutions c.1756–7, pen, brown and grey washes, annotating will take place in 2021, to be and individuals already named, the Soane Museum, followed by text enrichment and encoding, following are also offering support as Adam vol. 56/91

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