He is rightly credited with the
popularisation of the style that
is known as Neo-classical and
which defined the later Georgian
period. Returning to England
from Italy in 1758 he introduced
a style of architecture and
interior decoration based on
design ideas from ancient Greece
and Rome, interpreting and
applying this classicism in a light
and playful manner.
Sir John Soane, himself an
architectural visionary, described
Adam’s work as a “revolution in
art” and it unquestionably
influenced every aspect of interior
decoration during the late 18th
century. Adam devoted much
time to applying this new form
to the design of fireplaces,
recognising, like all great
architects, that a successfully
executed fireplace is the key to the
balance and symmetry of a room.
There were features of Adam’s
work that separated it from the
severe classicism of his
predecessors and which allowed
him to create a range of fireplace
designs that was quite unique.
Adam’s approach was to use
statuary marble not only as a
medium for fine carved detail
but also as a base for the inlay
of a variety of richly coloured
marbles.
Purists of the period were
ofended by this development
but it added a new dimension
to fireplace design with the rich
colour ofered by intricately
inlaid patterns of marble such
as convent siena, Sicilian jasper
and Spanish brocatelle
enhancing the visual impact
and presence of many fireplaces
of the period.
Portrait of Robert Adam
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Below Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire.
Hans A. Rosbach, creativecommons.org
The Adam Collection
A collection of exact replicas of designs for
chimneypieces from drawings from the ofce
of Robert and James Adam.
The Adam collection is made under exclusive
licence from Sir John Soane’s Museum,
which holds the largest collection of drawings
by the great 18th century architect.
The Adam collection comprises designs for six chimneypieces
selected from over 300 drawings for chimneypieces held at
the museum and chosen to represent the diversity and
originality of his work.
Online archive
The archive of Adam’s chimneypiece drawings numbers over 300 in total.
These can be viewed online at
www.chesneys.co.uk/products/fireplaces/adam-archive
Chesney’s is able to reproduce any design contained in this
archive to order.
Robert Adam
(1728-92) was the
most influential
and original
architect of his age