Adam

Family of Scottish architects and designers. William Adam (1689–1748) was the leading Scottish architect of his day, and his son Robert Adam (1728–1792) is considered one of the greatest British architects of the late 18th century, responsible for transforming the prevailing Palladian fashion in architecture to a neoclassical style.

William Adam trained his three sons Robert, John, and James in his Edinburgh office. Robert travelled in Italy and Dalmatia, and was appointed architect to King George III in 1762. His commissions included the remodelling of Kenwood House (1764) and Osterley Park, London (1760s); Culzean Castle, South Ayrshire (1775); and Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire. At Kedleston Hall (1759–70) he exquisitely balanced Antiquarian and neoclassical influences. In his interiors, such as those at Saltram, Harewood House, Luton Hoo, and Syon House, he employed delicate stucco decoration with neoclassical motifs. He also earned a considerable reputation as a furniture designer.

Robert, John, and James designed and speculatively developed the district of London between Charing Cross and the Thames, which was named the Adelphi after them (Greek for ‘brothers’). The area was largely rebuilt in 1936.

Two chairs designed by Robert Adam and made by the furniture maker Thomas Chippendale were sold in 1997 at Christie's sales rooms in London for £1.7 million, which made them the most expensive chairs in the world.

Adam

In the Old Testament (Genesis 2, 3), the first human. Formed by God from dust and given the breath of life, Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden, where Eve was created from his rib and given to him as a companion. Because she tempted him, he tasted the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for which trespass they were expelled from the Garden.

Myths not in the Bible Later Jewish stories introduced fanciful accounts of Adam; for example, that he was of huge proportions, covering the earth completely. According to Jewish tradition, Adam's first wife was Lilith, who fled from him and became a demon when Eve was created. In the Manichaean mythology, Adam is not represented as a creation of God at all, but as the son of Satan, Prince of Darkness, by Sin or Desire. Satan had stolen light from heaven, which passed into Adam, and by diligent fostering by the spirits of good, the prospect of light finally overcoming the power of darkness was held out as the great hope of the Manichaean religion. Eve was given to Adam by Satan, and represents the sensual element. She, however, was seduced by Satan; thus Cain and Abel were said to be the sons of Satan and Eve, the offspring of Adam and Eve being Seth, who carried forward the tradition of light. A Muslim account states that Adam performed a penance lasting 1,000 years in Sri Lanka. St Augustine suggested that the cause of Adam's expulsion from Eden was that, after Satan's victory over Eve, Adam was led by the power of love to share her shame and punishment.