Glass drawing room, Northumberland House, including British Galleries elevation (wall A). 1773-1774, Robert Adam

Part of the former Glass Drawing room taken from Northumberland House. The side walls are articulated with twin gilt lead corinthian pilasters, either side of each double door. The pilasters are decorated with gilt copper applied to a green paper ground. Between each pilaster are placed two tiers of gilt lead classical ornaments, separated by a band decorated with a mask, flanked by swags of drapery. Each upper tier consists of an oval painting of a Greek Goddess, flanked by terms in profile; foliate ornament springs from the terms, and forms an arch surmounted by an anthemion, and supported in the centre by a rinceau, linked to each painting with husks, beeding and ribbons; beneath each oval hang a rinceau, husk, beeding and a pelta. Each lower tier consists of an altar, crowned by a lamp, and resting on a pair of scrolls, surmounted by an anthemion. These are placed on a background of red glass with gold-coloured metal filings, created in 1960.

Each leaf of the mahogany door is devided into four rectangular panels with fluted borders and gilt rosettes in each corner. The architrave consists of a series of small gilt rosettes, placed within interlacing gilt husks, and set against a pale blue background. Above the architrave is placed an entablature decorated with rinceaux and anthemions.

Over the door is placed a painting, in a square frame, after Cipriani, taken from Angelika Kaufmann's print Juno Cestum a Venere Postulat. The frame is embellished with a square outer border, composed of husks, with anthemion and rinceaux ornaments in each corner, and a gilt lead medalion of an Apollo mask in the centre of each side. The cornice was painted by the V & A Art workshop in 1960.
Part of the former Glass Drawing room taken from Northumberland House. The side walls are articulated with twin gilt lead corinthian pilasters, either side of each double door. The pilasters are decorated with gilt copper applied to a green paper ground. Between each pilaster are placed two tiers of gilt lead classical ornaments, separated by a band decorated with a mask, flanked by swags of drapery. Each upper tier consists of an oval painting of a Greek Goddess, flanked by terms in profile; foliate ornament springs from the terms, and forms an arch surmounted by an anthemion, and supported in the centre by a rinceau, linked to each painting with husks, beeding and ribbons; beneath each oval hang a rinceau, husk, beeding and a pelta. Each lower tier consists of an altar, crowned by a lamp, and resting on a pair of scrolls, surmounted by an anthemion. These are placed on a background of red glass with gold-coloured metal filings, created in 1960.

Each leaf of the mahogany door is devided into four rectangular panels with fluted borders and gilt rosettes in each corner. The architrave consists of a series of small gilt rosettes, placed within interlacing gilt husks, and set against a pale blue background. Above the architrave is placed an entablature decorated with rinceaux and anthemions.

Over the door is placed a painting, in a square frame, after Cipriani, taken from Angelika Kaufmann=s print Juno Cestum a Venere Postulat. The frame is embellised with a square outer border, composed of husks, with anthemion and rinceaux ornaments in each corner, and a gilt lead medalion of an Apollo mask in the centre of each side. The cornice was painted by the V & A Art workshop in 1960.
Part of the former Glass Drawing room taken from Northumberland House. The side walls are articulated with twin gilt lead corinthian pilasters, either side of each double door. The pilasters are decorated with gilt copper applied to a green paper ground. Between each pilaster are placed two tiers of gilt lead classical ornaments, separated by a band decorated with a mask, flanked by swags of drapery. Each upper tier consists of an oval painting of a Greek Goddess, flanked by terms in profile; foliate ornament springs from the terms, and forms an arch surmounted by an anthemion, and supported in the centre by a rinceau, linked to each painting with husks, beeding and ribbons; beneath each oval hang a rinceau, husk, beeding and a pelta. Each lower tier consists of an altar, crowned by a lamp, and resting on a pair of scrolls, surmounted by an anthemion. These are placed on a background of red glass with gold-coloured metal filings, created in 1960.

Each leaf of the mahogany door is devided into four rectangular panels with fluted borders and gilt rosettes in each corner. The architrave consists of a series of small gilt rosettes, placed within interlacing gilt husks, and set against a pale blue background. Above the architrave is placed an entablature decorated with rinceaux and anthemions.

Over the door is placed a painting, in a square frame, after Cipriani, taken from Angelika Kaufmann=s print Juno Cestum a Venere Postulat. The frame is embellised with a square outer border, composed of husks, with anthemion and rinceaux ornaments in each corner, and a gilt lead medalion of an Apollo mask in the centre of each side. The cornice was painted by the V & A Art workshop in 1960.

Part of the former Glass Drawing room taken from Northumberland House. The side walls are articulated with twin gilt lead corinthian pilasters, either side of each double door. The pilasters are decorated with gilt copper applied to a green paper ground. Between each pilaster are placed two tiers of gilt lead classical ornaments, separated by a band decorated with a mask, flanked by swags of drapery. Each upper tier consists of an oval painting of a Greek Goddess, flanked by terms in profile; foliate ornament springs from the terms, and forms an arch surmounted by an anthemion, and supported in the centre by a rinceau, linked to each painting with husks, beeding and ribbons; beneath each oval hang a rinceau, husk, beeding and a pelta. Each lower tier consists of an altar, crowned by a lamp, and resting on a pair of scrolls, surmounted by an anthemion. These are placed on a background of red glass with gold-coloured metal filings, created in 1960.

Each leaf of the mahogany door is devided into four rectangular panels with fluted borders and gilt rosettes in each corner. The architrave consists of a series of small gilt rosettes, placed within interlacing gilt husks, and set against a pale blue background. Above the architrave is placed an entablature decorated with rinceaux and anthemions.

Over the door is placed a painting, in a square frame, after Cipriani, taken from Angelika Kaufmann=s print Juno Cestum a Venere Postulat. The frame is embellised with a square outer border, composed of husks, with anthemion and rinceaux ornaments in each corner, and a gilt lead medalion of an Apollo mask in the centre of each side. The cornice used in the galleries 1960-1998 was painted by the V & A Art workshop in 1960.

For the 2001 installation in the British Galleries, the dado and skirting were made up, and the cornice and frieze corrected according to photographs of the room while still in the house. A new cornice and frieze were made by St Blaise and cast by Clarke and Fenn. To improve the colour of the faded red glass panels, which had been made up when the room was first installed at the V&A in 1960, an extra sheet of glass, coated with red paint, was attached to the existing glass panels. A new replacement door was made.

Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA

Commisioned for Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1714 - 1786) and Duchess, Elizabeth (1716-1776)Designed by Robert Adam (born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, 1728, died in London, 1792); the right-hand oval painting probably by Robert Jones, 1821, replacing an original of 1773-1775; left-hand oval painting a modern copy; castings probably made by Collet & Jack

Object Type
This section, composed of gilded metal pilasters on a green glass background, forms part of of the former Glass Drawing Room at Northumberland House, London, the Charing Cross mansion of the Dukes of Northumberland. (Northumberland House was built in about 1605 and demolished in 1874.)

People
The Glass Drawing Room was designed for Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1714-1786) by Robert Adam (1728-1792), one of the leading architects and designers in Britain at the time. Giambattista Cipriani (1727-1785) probably painted the insets: Adam frequently employed him to execute decorative paintwork for his interiors.

Materials & Making
The wall decoration is made up of fluted pilasters, gilt lead, with gilt wood capitals. The mahogany double doors are parcel gilt (i.e., gilded in parts) with ormolu (gilt bronze) handles and locks. The fluting of each pilaster is made up of glass paste, with green paper ground and fragments of gilt copper.

Time
The first designs for the Glass Drawing Room were made in 1770, and the work was carried out from 1773 to about 1775. The design is an early example of Adam's more slender and delicate approach to Neo-classical ornament. With the completion of this room, Adam hoped, but failed, to create a fashion for similar glass drawing rooms.

Subjects Depicted
The door insets depict mythological subjects, such as 'Nymphs adoring Pan'; 'Juno asking Venus for her Sacred Girdle' (cestus); 'Nymphs awakening Cupid'; and the story of Venus and Adonis.

W.3:1 to 92-1955