A ‘Classical Goth’: Robert Adam’s engagement with medieval architecture

Abstract

First paragraph: Robert Adam’s Grand Tour in 1754–8 had a profound impact upon his understanding of the forms and ornament of Classical architecture. This became manifest after his return to Britain in his country house designs, as, for example, in the south façade of Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire (from c 1760).1 Beyond this elevation’s dynamic advancement and recession of planes, the architecture paraphrases two notable monuments of ancient Rome: the Arch of Constantine and the Pantheon. Kedleston’s interior, including its celebrated Saloon, was equally responsive to antique forms, and the tour’s impact upon Adam in the shaping of his eponymous neoclassical style is explored elsewhere in this volume.