1- Robert Adam and William Chamber were two of the most prolific Essay

1- Robert Adam and William Chamber were two of the most prolific - Essay Example Adam travelled there in 1754, getting valuable knowledge of classical literature and draughtsmanship. He was tutored by two prominent personalities in the field of architecture – Giovanni Battista Piranese of Italy and Charles-Louis Clerisseau of France.5 Chambers too (like Adam) studied architecture and draughtsmanship under French architect Charles-Louis Clerisseau. While in Italy, Chambers did an extensive tour and examination of the Roman ruins and the works of noted Italian architects, especially Palladio.6 A major difference between the two great architects was their style. Both are looked upon as experts in neoclassical style of architecture, or ‘new’ classical style, so called because it represented a revival of classic forms of architecture that both men studied at length in France and Italy.7 While Chambers embodied the essential characteristics of high fashion tastes of his time,8 Adam created his own unique style, which was built on the style of those times.9 As a result of several trips to China, Chambers was deeply captivated by Chinese designs, returning to England with a large number of drawings of Chinese buildings and gardens. While his architectural works did reflect his knowledge and learning of neoclassical architecture (as a result of his visits to France and Italy), his fascination for Chinese designs was distinctly apparent in his later architectural works. Chambers favoured bold exteriors that reflected a blend of Roman, Florentine, Genoese and Venetian styles. He did not favour any startling mannerisms, preferring to place his style somewhere between the laborious, impressive style of Vanbrugh and the lighter, more pure style of Adam. Experts are of the opinion that the outlook of Chambers was more continental and international as compared to Adam.10 One of the only two (the other being Somerset House) famous architectural works of Chambers contains a distinct Chinese design flavour – Kew Gardens (1757