Excerpt from Robert Adam, Artist and Architect: His Works and His System

It will be seen from the list of societies to whom I retailed my Adam story, that I went pretty far afield, and brought the subject before a fairly representative audience. These were The Society of Arts-who gave me the silver medal for my performance - The Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts; The London Society of Architects; The Architectural Societies of, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Glasgow, Newcastle, Carlisle, Birmingham, Dublin, Hull, York, Bath, Sheffield. These visits were exceedingly interesting. I was always cordially received, and I could see that the hearers were much interested in a subject to which hitherto but little attention had been paid. It was a difficult and even awkward situation to be speaking in presence of experts. I found the best way was to say out plainly what I thought on the matter, and say it boldly, without showing hesitation, or the fear of falling into mistakes or of displaying one's ignorance. My preservation was an unaffected enthusiasm for Adam and all his work, with a native instinct for what was artistic.

At these lectures of mine, sometimes the attendance was large, at other times rather moderate; but the students were always attracted; I calculate that on the whole I must have brought the subject within the knowledge of some thousands, and many of these must have worked on, or have been led to take up the matter, to apply it and study it seriously. Nor was I slack in the direction of writing.

From the earliest days, old buildings having grace and beauty had always' the most extraordinary attraction for me. I am ashamed to say none of the boasted scenes of nature - the mountains, lakes and plains - appealed to me in the way that a small ancient town did. In a building - particularly of the renaissance type - there seemed to be something more living and suggestive. A well-designed building was company - it seemed to speak. I had a particular delight in the renaissance buildings, on account, I believe, of the sincerity and unobtrusiveness of their ornamentation, with a sort of general delicacy of treat ment. The old classical or Greek elements seemed to me to be a little obtrusive and coarse, also a little uninteresting. The cornices and pediments stood out and claimed attention noisily. To see a picture even of one of these palaces affects one, their ornamentation is so telling, and yet so retiring. Adam's work always offered much of this charm and feeling, its detail invariably interested and attracted the eye, or set the mind in motion. There was always some striking or graceful little arrangement that repaid inspection.

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