Identifier: robertadamhisbro1915swar (find matches)
Title: Robert Adam & his brothers; their lives, work & influence on English architecture, decoration and furniture
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Swarbrick, John, b. 1879
Subjects: Adam, Robert, 1728-1792 Adam, James, d. 1794 Architecture Decoration and ornament, Architectural Furniture
Publisher: London, B.T. Batsford, ltd., New York, C. Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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represent Europe, Asia, Africa, andAmerica, while the centre circle contains a representation of Loveembracing Fortune. The oblong paintings which lie within narrowgilt rims are the work of Antonio Zucchi, who has depicted thefour seasons by triumphs of Venus, Apollo, Bacchus, and ./Folus.The recess at the end of the room has appropriately been made afeature of interest by the introduction of delicate bas-reliefs, arrangedupon a radiating basis, in the semi-domical head of the alcove. Therecess now contains three white side tables, enriched with gold andsurmounted by slabs of Sicilian jasper, a beautiful kind of rose breccia.There are also two tall cream pedestals, likewise enriched with gilding,and two other smaller ones of similar character. The taller pedestalssupport in each case a bronze urn with ormolu mountings. In thecentre, a fine gilt tripod, designed to hold three candles, stands upon1 A work by Pietro Santi Bartoli, published at Rome in 1693. THE EARLY WORK OF ROBERT ADAM
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104 THE LIVES AND WORK OF ROBERT AND JAMES ADAM a base of breccia. Four mahogany, silver-mounted knife boxes havebeen preserved, together with a large wine-cooler or cistern, which wascarved in accordance with the designs of James Stuart, the architect,out of a block of Sicilian jasper. With the exception of the cistern,the remainder of the furniture and appointments in the alcove are stillalmost exactly as they were shewn in a design preserved at Kedleston,which bears the signature Robt. Adam. This drawing was preparedwith great care, the silver plate, the cutlery, and even the merestdetails having been indicated with remarkable precision. But manyof Lord Scarsdales other designs by the brothers have been preparedwith almost as much care. For instance, the internal elevations of therooms usually show the positions reserved for particular pictures andother details, which it was desirable to take into consideration. Asin the Music-Room and Drawing-Room, the sculpture of the chimney-pie

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