Term of the Day: Etruscan 8/17/09

A breakfront cabinet with original Etruscan style painted decoration. The distinctive color scheme of this cabinet (terra-cotta and black on a very pale blue background) is characteristic of the Etruscan style, which was introduced in England in the 18th century by the Adam brothers. The look was based on the ornamentation found on ancient vases, which at the time were believed to have been Etruscan, but were probably actually of Greek origin. The Etruscan Room at Osterley Park in Middlesex is an example of an Etruscan style interior designed by Robert Adam.

To learn more about this cabinet, visit: bit.ly/CH-9053

Born July 3, 1728, Scottish architect, decorator and furniture designer Robert Adam was one of the most influential craftsmen of the 18th century, and so it is to him we dedicate today’s blog on what would be his 281st birthday!

English. Circa 1785. This elegant cabinet, which retains its original painted decoration, is a rare survival of the Etruscan taste introduced into England in the late 1760s. The black and terracotta decoration to the ovals and the stylized frieze, set against a light-blue ground, are much in the manner of the Etruscan style of Robert Adam (1728-1792), the most celebrated architect and designer of the day. The present cabinet also draws on the conventional classical vocabulary, with a fan motif to the doors and sides and anthemion arcading to the frieze, but renders them in Etruscan colours. The ‘Etruscan Dressing Room’ was executed by Adam’s decorative artist Pietro Mario Borgnis (1743-1801). The decoration was first painted onto paper that was then pasted onto canvas which was attached to the walls of the room. Much the same technique is employed in the present cabinet, where the black and red Etruscan work is painted onto paper and then laid down onto the painted pale blue ground.