Skip navigation

Main menu

  • What's on
  • Art & Artists
    • The Collection
      Artists
      Artworks
      Art by theme
      Media
      Videos
      Podcasts
      Short articles
      Learning
      Schools
      Art Terms
      Tate Research
      Art Making
      Create like an artist
      Kids art activities
      Tate Draw game
  • Visit
  • Shop
Become a Member
  • DISCOVER ART
  • ARTISTS A-Z
  • ARTWORK SEARCH
  • ART BY THEME
  • VIDEOS
  • ART TERMS
  • SCHOOLS
  • TATE KIDS
  • RESEARCH
  • Tate Britain
    Tate Britain Free admission
  • Tate Modern
    Tate Modern Free admission
  • Tate Liverpool + RIBA North
    Tate Liverpool + RIBA North Free admission
  • Tate St Ives
    Tate St Ives Ticket or membership card required
  • FAMILIES
  • ACCESSIBILITY
  • SCHOOLS
  • PRIVATE TOURS
Tate Logo
Become a Member
  • Art and Artists
  • Tate Archive
  • Collections of Digitised Archive Items
  • Personal papers and artworks of Robert Adams

Personal papers and artworks of Robert Adams

1925–87

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Pinterest

A series of sketchbooks, collages, maquettes and a self-portrait have been selected from the Robert Adams collection and are available online. Together the material documents the wide range of Adams's practice over nearly forty years. The sketchbooks date from c.1944-80 and contain studies for a variety of artworks by Adams, such as the screen forms and 'Vertex' series of sculptures. The maquettes date from the 1950s to the 1970s and relate to the 'Vertex' and 'Cavetto' sculptures of the 1970s. The self-portrait dates from c.1946.

Details of the remainder of the collection can be found on the Archive catalogue.

Collection Owner
Robert Adams 1917–1984
Collection
Tate Archive
Acquisition
Presented by Mrs Pat Adams, widow of the artist, and her daughter Mrs Mary Adams Weatherhead, in 1984 and 1990.
Reference
TGA 8421

44 objects in this collection

  • Personal papers and artworks of Robert Adams

    44 Objects

    • Sketchbooks, drawings and records of work by Robert Adams

      25 Objects

    • Untitled collages

      6 Objects

    • Maquettes and 3D objects

      12 Objects

Title
Personal papers and artworks of Robert Adams
Date
1925–87
Description
A series of sketchbooks, collages, maquettes and a self-portrait have been selected from the Robert Adams collection and are available online. Together the material documents the wide range of Adams's practice over nearly forty years. The sketchbooks date from c.1944-80 and contain studies for a variety of artworks by Adams, such as the screen forms and 'Vertex' series of sculptures. The maquettes date from the 1950s to the 1970s and relate to the 'Vertex' and 'Cavetto' sculptures of the 1970s. The self-portrait dates from c.1946.

Details of the remainder of the collection can be found on the Archive catalogue.
Reference
TGA 8421

Showing 21–40 of 44 objects

Sketchbook [studies for ‘Vertex’ series]

Robert Adams
1970–3
View by appointment

Sketchbook [studies for ‘Folding Movement’]

Robert Adams
1972–6
View by appointment

Sketchbook [studies for bronzes and wall-hangings]

Robert Adams
1974–5
View by appointment

Sketchbook for ‘Two’

Robert Adams
1976–7
View by appointment

Sketchbook [round]

Robert Adams
1980
View by appointment

Collage Two

Robert Adams
date not known
View by appointment

Collage Three (unfinished)

Robert Adams
date not known
View by appointment

Collage Four

Robert Adams
date not known
View by appointment

Collage Five

Robert Adams
date not known
View by appointment

Collage Six

Robert Adams
date not known
View by appointment

Collage Seven

Robert Adams
date not known
View by appointment

Maquette for ‘Vertex No. 1’

Robert Adams
1971–2
View by appointment

Maquette for ‘Vertex No. 1’

Robert Adams
1971–2
View by appointment

Maquette for ‘Vertex No. 2’ or ‘Phoenix’

Robert Adams
1971–2
View by appointment

Maquette related to the ‘Vertex’ series

Robert Adams
1971–2
View by appointment

Maquette related to ‘Chasm’ and ‘Fissure’

Robert Adams
[c.1972]
View by appointment

Maquette related to ‘Cavetto No. 1’ and ‘Cavetto No. 2’

Robert Adams
[c.1972–3]
View by appointment

Maquette for unknown sculpture

Robert Adams
date not known
View by appointment

Maquette related to ‘Pierced Horizontals’ 1959, or a brooch

Robert Adams
[c.1960]
View by appointment

Maquette for ‘Curving Movement’ or ‘Horizontal Movement’ or a brooch

Robert Adams
[c.1958–60]
View by appointment
Artwork
Close

Join in

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Sign up to emails

Sign up to emails

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Tate’s privacy policy

About

  • About us
  • Our collection
  • Terms and copyright
  • Governance
  • Picture library
  • ARTIST ROOMS
  • Tate Kids

Support

  • Tate Collective
  • Members
  • Patrons
  • Donate
  • Corporate
  • My account
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Contact
© The Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery, 2025
All rights reserved