Catalogue Details

H W Lonsdale (1844-1919)
A Robert Adam Design for a Lady's Bedroom Ceiling.
Pencil & watercolours
Signed& dated:  H W L / 3.2.94
Inscribed in artist’s hand: Soane Museum vol.v,p.61
Adam ceiling
19 x 28 cms

This watercolour makes a faithful record of a detail from a ceiling design by Robert Adam.  Lonsdale made a number of studies of Adam’s ceilings during visits to the Sir John Soane Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London in 1894 where volumes of Adam’s designs were kept.   The notes 
inscribed by Lonsdale at the time provided him with the exact reference for each design.     The design shows reclining female nudes set in apsidal mouldings 
set around with floral garlands, pretty ribbons  and winged cupids. The colours are vivid with bold turquoise, golds, pinks 
and burnt sienna bringing to life the moulding and classical sculptural reliefs. The intimate nature of this design suggests that it was more than likely to have been devised by Adam for a Lady’s boudoir or bedroom.

Horatio Walter Lonsdale was an accomplished architectural artist working as William Burges’s right-hand man on many
schemes, such as Cardiff Castle and Mount Stuart.  His attention to detail and colour was held in high regard and made his work 
much admired for its ability to render highly decorative designs.

Full biographical details on Lonsdale are available in our H W Lonsdale catalogue.