Adelphi chimneypiece
Chimneypiece
ca. 1771 (made)
ca. 1771 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Object Type
The chimney-piece has always been the most important feature of a room. The more imposing and costly the chimney-piece, the grander that room. However, unlike the more extravagant Palladian and Rococo examples from the 1720s onwards, those of the Neo-classical period were smaller and more restrained. Here the abundance of Neo-classical ornament indicates that the chimney-piece was destined for a fairly important room.
People
The chimney-piece comes from a house in the Adelphi (No. 5) that belonged to David Garrick. The Adelphi (Greek for 'brothers') was a speculative development on the banks of the Thames, off the Strand, by Robert Adam and his younger brother James. However, the exorbitant cost of building the foundations, as well as the high tides and pollution of the river, brought the venture at one stage close to bankruptcy.
Garrick was the greatest actor of the day. He was a friend of Robert and James Adam, whom he addressed as 'My dear adelphi'.
Subjects Depicted
The lintel of the chimney-piece is decorated with griffins, back-to-back, holding festoons in their beaks. Other motifs include small circular ornaments known as paterae, also rosettes, husks, sacrificial altars and panoplies (trophies of ancient weapons).
The chimney-piece has always been the most important feature of a room. The more imposing and costly the chimney-piece, the grander that room. However, unlike the more extravagant Palladian and Rococo examples from the 1720s onwards, those of the Neo-classical period were smaller and more restrained. Here the abundance of Neo-classical ornament indicates that the chimney-piece was destined for a fairly important room.
People
The chimney-piece comes from a house in the Adelphi (No. 5) that belonged to David Garrick. The Adelphi (Greek for 'brothers') was a speculative development on the banks of the Thames, off the Strand, by Robert Adam and his younger brother James. However, the exorbitant cost of building the foundations, as well as the high tides and pollution of the river, brought the venture at one stage close to bankruptcy.
Garrick was the greatest actor of the day. He was a friend of Robert and James Adam, whom he addressed as 'My dear adelphi'.
Subjects Depicted
The lintel of the chimney-piece is decorated with griffins, back-to-back, holding festoons in their beaks. Other motifs include small circular ornaments known as paterae, also rosettes, husks, sacrificial altars and panoplies (trophies of ancient weapons).
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Adelphi chimneypiece (popular title) |
Materials and techniques | Carved and painted pine, with marble |
Brief description | Chimneypiece of carved and painted pinewood, the outer jambs carved with pendants of bellflowers within ovals formed by intertwining pendants of husks, the frieze with a variety of neo-classical motifs, centreing on an urn supported by two birds. |
Physical description | Chimneypiece of carved and painted pinewood, the outer jambs carved with pendants of bellflowers within ovals formed by intertwining pendants of husks, the frieze with a variety of neo-classical motifs, centreing on an urn supported by two birds. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Gallery label | British Galleries:
Robert Adam's style was spread by the activities of the building firm that he ran with his brother James. This chimney-piece comes from a house in the Adelphi (named after the Greek for 'brothers'), a group of streets on the banks of the river Thames. The Adam brothers were involved in urban speculation across London, but the Adelphi was the firm's most famous and fashionable development.(27/03/2003) |
Credit line | Presented by Art Fund |
Object history | Made in London for the library of 5 Royal Terrace, London, the residence of David Garrick (1717-1779) from 1772 until his death. Designed by Robert Adam (born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, 1728, died in London, 1792) |
Summary | Object Type The chimney-piece has always been the most important feature of a room. The more imposing and costly the chimney-piece, the grander that room. However, unlike the more extravagant Palladian and Rococo examples from the 1720s onwards, those of the Neo-classical period were smaller and more restrained. Here the abundance of Neo-classical ornament indicates that the chimney-piece was destined for a fairly important room. People The chimney-piece comes from a house in the Adelphi (No. 5) that belonged to David Garrick. The Adelphi (Greek for 'brothers') was a speculative development on the banks of the Thames, off the Strand, by Robert Adam and his younger brother James. However, the exorbitant cost of building the foundations, as well as the high tides and pollution of the river, brought the venture at one stage close to bankruptcy. Garrick was the greatest actor of the day. He was a friend of Robert and James Adam, whom he addressed as 'My dear adelphi'. Subjects Depicted The lintel of the chimney-piece is decorated with griffins, back-to-back, holding festoons in their beaks. Other motifs include small circular ornaments known as paterae, also rosettes, husks, sacrificial altars and panoplies (trophies of ancient weapons). |
Bibliographic reference | Tomlin, Maurice, Catalogue of Adam Period Furniture (London: HMSO for Victoria and Albert Museum, 1972). cat. no. N/2, pp. 102-103. |
Collection | |
Accession number | W.42-1936 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | March 27, 2003 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest