ADAM, ROBERT

born July 3, 1728, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scot. died March 3, 1792, London, Eng. Scottish architect and designer who, with his brother James (1730-94), transformed Palladian Neoclassicism in England into the airy, light, elegant style that bears their name. His major architectural works include public buildings (especially in London), and his designs were used for the interiors of such country mansions as Syon House (1762-69) in Middlesex (now in Hounslow, London). Additional reading Biographies include John Fleming, Robert Adam and His Circle, in Edinburgh & Rome (1962), based on original letters; and Doreen Yarwood, Robert Adam (1970), concentrating on the man rather than the artist. Well-illustrated surveys of his work in different genres include Arthur T. Bolton, The Architecture of Robert & James Adam, 1785-1794, 2 vol. (1922, reprinted 1984); Eileen Harris, The Furniture of Robert Adam (1963, reprinted 1973); Damie Stillman, The Decorative Work of Robert Adam (1966, reprinted 1973), with original drawings; and Joseph Rykwert and Anne Rykwert, Robert and James Adam: The Men and the Style (1985).