Robert Adam (country House Design, Decoration & The Art Of Elegance)

By (author) Musson, Jeremy; Foreword by Jenkins, Simon; Photographs by Barker, Paul
Short description/annotation
The definitive book on the most influential English country house architect and designer.
Description
This beautifully produced book celebrates the work of Robert Adam, the great eighteenth-century architect who influenced generations by stamping his distinctive neoclassical aesthetic vision on the English country house interior. Lavish new photography provides a deeply visual exploration of Adam s most important surviving country houses, to which the author and photographer gained unparalleled access. Included are magnificent country houses such as Syon House and Harewood House styled and inspired by the ideal of the neoclassical as well as Adam s castle-style Mellerstain and town houses such as Home House all captured in splendid detail. Original Adam design drawings, from Sir John Soane s Museum, illustrate the boldness of planning, color, and creative interpretation of Adam s domestic interiors. A biographical and contextual account of Adam s life and work describes his unique design process, his patrons, and the legacy of his design achievement. This richly illustrated volume will appeal to designers and homeowners as well as traditional architecture enthusiasts, promising to become an important addition to any architecture and interior design library.
Review quote
"Although Robert Adam was an architect in the 1700s, many of his homes are still around—and— drawing attention—centuries later. "Adam had from the beginning of his London practice made bold and sumptuous interior effect—the combination of novel architectural experience and refined decoration—the keystone of his invention. The bare ingredients of this he took from his study in Rome, and in the process contributed something new to the growing field of neoclassical design," writes author Jeremy Musson in the new book Robert Adam: Country House Design, Decoration, and the Art of Elegance (Rizzoli, $65). Many of his creations can be found in the English countryside, where his knowledge of color, craftsmanship, and antiquities are on full display."
—ArchitecturalDigest.com 

"In remarkable detail, the book examines magnificent country houses, including Syon House and Harewood House, that were styled and inspired by the ideal of the Neoclassical; as well as Adam’s castle-style Mellerstain, and town houses such as Home House. In addition, Musson provides a rich account of Adam’s life and work, describing his unique design process, his patrons, and the legacy of his design achievement."
—CJDellatore.com

"Another book which makes its debut this spring is on an architect who needs no introduction. Robert Adam, Country House Design, Decoration & The Art of Elegance by historian Jeremy Musson from Rizzoli is really the definitive book on the Scottish architect who transformed the face of Neoclassicism."
—Architect Design Blog
Biographical note
Writer and broadcaster Jeremy Musson was architectural editor at Country Life from 1998 to 2007. The cowriter and presenter of the BBC television series The Curious House Guest, he is the author of many books, including The Drawing Room and English Country House Interiors. Sir Simon Jenkins, a leading journalist and author, was chairman of the National Trust from 2008 to 2014. The late Paul Barker was one of England s premier interior and architectural photographers.