Design for illuminations to celebrate the birthday of George III, by R. Adam and G. Cipriani, 1763, pencil, ink, watercolour

Design for illuminations to celebrate the birthday of George III. Depicted are three archways with depictions of multiple figures in classical dress. The middle archway is set slighty behind the two archways on the side. Between each archway there are statues of figures on plinths. At the forefront of the image there are multiple figures looking at the display.

Item Provenance: Provenance: J. Leslie Wright, acquired 1936, Mrs Cecil Keith, Sotheby's, St. George Street Gallery, Architectural Watercolours, 28 April 1988

Exhibitions: London, Royal Academy of Arts, Exhibition of the J.Leslie Wright Collection of Masters of British Watercolour (17th-19th centuries), 1949, no.100. London, Arts Council of Great Britain, British Life, 1953, no.98. Worthing Art Gallery, English Watercolour Drawings from the Collection of Mrs. Cecil Keith, 1963, no.10. London, Thos. Agnew & Sons Ltd., The Watercolour Collection formed by Mrs. Cecil Keith, May 1984, no. 119. New York, Armin B. Allen Inc., An Exhibition of Ornamental Drawings, 1520-1920, October 29th - November 15th 1986, no. 64.

Notes: This drawing and its companion, which was later to appear in the Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam, (engraved by Cunago, 1775. plate 5, vol.1, pp38-39) were formerly attributed to Clerisseau and Zucchi when they were exhibited at the RA in 1949. The illustrations were commissioned from Adam by the Queen and the large finished designs are in the Royal Collection at Windsor. Both Oppe and Adrian Bury have argued convincingly that the figures were drawn by G.B. Cipriani. Oppe further suggests that "The designs ... which may have been sent to the Queen by Adam to commemorate the event can scarcely be attributed to his own hand". Indeed, the somewhat unconfident handling of the architectural details would seem to indicate that at this stage they were the work of one of the many draughtsmen employed by the Adam office. The festivities documented in the design are fully described in The Gentleman's Magazine, June 1763 and in Watkin's Memoirs of Queen Charlotte, 1819, pp171-172. The Queen is said to have prepared the illuminations as a surprise for the King, who, in the meantime, was kept at St. James's Palace where he was entertained by the attendance at court of ladies in the masquerade costumes prepared for a grand ball given by the Duke of Richmond on that night. Thus the King knew nothing of the preparations at Buckingham House until the shutters were suddenly thrown back on his arrival at 10 o'clock. In the caption to the engraving of the companion design in the Works in Architecture Adam noted that only part of the structure was actually executed for the birthday celebration. This design is a much simplified version of the engraving and represents the illuminations as carried out.

E.356-1988