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Encyclopedia Ichnographica

Adam, Robert and James

Adam, Robert and James

It is through the letters of Robert and James Adam from Rome that a history of the development of the Ichnographia Campus Martius unfolds. When first conceived, the Ichnographia was to be part of Le Antichità Romane, but Robert Adam later convinced Piranesi to publish the Ichnographia within its own separate volume. Ultimately, the Ichnographia was published within Il Campo Marzio dell'Antica Roma shortly before 21 May 1762.

The excerpts of the letters of Robert and James Adam furnished below come from John Fleming, Robert Adam and his Circle in Edinburgh and Rome (London: John Murray, 1962), passim.

Robert Adam was at Rome from 24 February 1755 to early May 1757. James Adam was at Rome from 24 February 1761 to May 1763.

Adam, Robert; architect; b. July 3, 1728, at Kirkcaldy, Scotland; d. March 3, 1792.
Robert Adam was the second son of William Adam, and the most eminent of the four brothers Adam: John, Robert, James, and William. He was educated at Edinburgh University and visited Italy in 1754. He visited also Dalmatia, and published the Ruins of the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro in Dalmatia (London, 1764, 1 vol. folio with engravings by Bartolozzi). In association with his brothers hr began in 1768 to build the Adelphi (London), a vast terrace constructed on arches which contain warehouses and support streets and houses. The brothers, especially Robert and James, seem to have originated the practice of grouping unimportant London houses into masses having the appearance of single imposing edifices. They were especially successful in designing the interior arrangement, decoration, and furniture of residences. They commenced the publication of their works in 1773. The second volume was completed in 1778. A posthumous third volume was added, and the whole published in 1822 with the title, Works in Architecture of the late Robert and James Adam, Etqs., complete in three vols, with 125 plates engraved by Bartolozzi, Piranesi, etc. Robert Adam was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Adam, James; architect; b. July 21, 1732; d. October 20, 1794.
James Adam was one of the four sons of William Adam, and appears to have ranked next to Robert Adam in reputation. It is not possible now to separate the work of the brothers. His name appears with that of Robert in the title of their Works in Architecture.

18 June 1755
Piranesi, who is I think the most extraordinary fellow I ever saw, is becoming immencely intimate with me and as he imagined at first that I was like the other English who had a love of antiques without knowledge, upon seeing some of my sketches and drawings was so highly delighted that he almost ran quite distracted and said I have more genius for the true noble architecture than any Englishman ever was in Italy. ... [Piranesi] threatens dedicating his next plan of ancient Rome to me, but of this I have no certainty; and he swears whenever he can find opportunity he will thrust me into all his prints as a gentleman of that love, that taste and that genius for Ancient Architecture, who admired such things so much that he got modellers to copy them in order to instil that taste in the minds of his countrymen.

Within the first volume of Le Antichità Romane are a series of plans of ancient Rome: baths of Titus, topographical map, barracks of Tiberius, baths of Caracalla, nymphaeum of Nero, baths of Diocletian, Forum Romanum, Capitoline Hill. When combined with the Ichnographia Campus Martius these plans constitute an almost complete plan of ancient Rome.

4 July 1755 the day after Robert Adam's 27th birthday
... so amazing and ingenious fancies as he [Piranesi] has produced in the different plans of the Temples, Baths and Palaces and other buildings I never saw and are the greatest fund for inspiring and instilling invention in any lover of architecture that can be imagined. Chambers, who courted Piranesi's friendship with all the assiduity of a lover, never could bring him even to do a sketch of any one thing, and told me I would never be able to get anything from him. So much is he out of his calculation that he has told me that whatsoever I want of him he will do for me with pleasure, and is just now doing two drawings for me which will be both singualr and clever. ... [Piranesi] having seen some of [my] sketches was so satisfied with them and with the collection of antique things I have got casts of, that he has absolutely changed his resolution of dedicating his plan of ancient Rome to one of the Cardinals here and has dedicated it to me with the title of Friend and Architect Dilectantissimo nella Antichità! ... It will cost me some sous in purchasing eighty or an hundred copies of it.

Robert Adam is here referring to the plans within the first volume of Le Antichità Romane as mentioned above.

below: detail from Plan of the ancient Forum Romanum, Le Antichità Romane, vol. 1.

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