Ruins of the palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro in Dalmatia

Rvins of the palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro in Dalmatia

1764

Ee 1764 A [de Beer Special Collections]

Printed for the author: London

In 1754 Robert Adam left Scotland for France and Italy on a Grand Tour. In Italy he met the French architect, Charles Louis Clérisseau, and the Italian, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, who would both have a significant influence upon him and his later work. While abroad, Adam resolved to move to London and set about producing a volume for publication upon his return. The ruins of the palace at Spalatro (now known as Split, on the Dalmatian coast) were easily accessible from Italy but had not been satisfactorily documented. Over a period of five weeks Adam sketched and supervised the documentation of the ruins. He was accompanied by Clérisseau, who produced perspectives, and two German draftsmen who undertook the measured drawings. Most of the published drawings are believed to be the work of Clérisseau.