designed and built, in conjunction with his brother James, Adelphi Terrace
about 1769, and subsequently Portland Place, and other streets and houses
of a like character; the furniture being made, under the direction of
Robert, to suit the interiors. There is much interest attaching to No. 25,
Portland Place, because this was the house built, decorated and furnished
by Robert Adam for his own residence, and, fortunately, the chief
reception rooms remain to shew the style then in vogue. The brothers Adam
introduced into England the application of composition ornaments to
woodwork. Festoons of drapery, wreaths of flowers caught up with rams'
heads, or of husks tied with a knot of riband, and oval pateroe to mark
divisions in a frieze, or to emphasize a break in the design, are
ornaments characteristic of what was termed the Adams style.

Robert Adam published between 1778 and 1822 three magnificent volumes,
"Works on Architecture." One of these was dedicated to King George III.,
to whom he was appointed architect. Many of his designs for furniture were
carried out by Gillows; there is a good collection of his original
drawings in the Soane Museum, Lincoln's Inn Fields.

The decoration was generally in low relief, with fluted pilasters, and
sometimes a rather stiff Renaissance ornament decorating the panel; the
effect was neat and chaste, and a distinct change from the rococo style
which had preceded it.

The design of furniture was modified to harmonize with such decoration.
The sideboard had a straight and not infrequently a serpentine-shaped
front, with square tapering legs, and was surmounted by a pair of
urn-shaped knife cases, the wood used being almost invariably mahogany,
with the inlay generally of plain flutings relieved by fans or oval
pateroe in satin wood.

Pergolesi, Cipriani and Angelica Kaufmann had been attracted to England by
the promise of lucrative employment, and not only decorated the panels of
ceilings and walls which were enriched by Adams' "_compo_'" (in reality a
revival of the old Italian gesso work), but also painted the ornamental
cabinets, occasional tables, and chairs of the time.

[Illustration: Fac-simile of Original Drawings by Robert Adam (Reduced).]

Towards the end of the century, satin wood was introduced into England
from the East Indies; it became very fashionable, and was a favourite
ground-work for decoration, the medallions of figure subjects, generally
of cupids, wood-nymphs