Architects

Name:

James Playfair

Designation :

Architect

Date of Birth:

Exact Date

Exact DOB:

08/05/1755

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Date of Death:

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Exact DOD:

23/02/1794

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Bio Notes :

James Playfair was born on 5 August 1755, the fourth son of the Rev. James Playfair, minister of Liff & Benvie Parish Church, Angus. Nothing is yet known of his earlier life or training. His older brother John Playfair became a well-known mathematician and geologist and his younger brother, William, gained some notoriety as an inventor and pamphleteer. The last ten years of James Playfair’s life are recorded fully as his professional journal survives in the National Library of Scotland and his drawings in the Soane Museum and RIBA Drawings Collection.

By 1783 Playfair had established an office in Bloomsbury, London and he began to exhibit regularly at the Royal Academy. That year he published ‘A Method of Constructing Vapour Baths’. Most if his commissions were however still in Scotland where he had the patronage of Henry Dundas.

It is documented that he travelled abroad. In August 1787, he went to Paris probably visiting his younger brother William who was in Paris as an agent of the Scioto Land Company of Ohio. Almost certainly he spent some time there not just visiting antiquities (his sketch of the Baths of the Emperor Julian survives) but also looking at contemporary French architecture. In 1791 he travelled to Italy with his wife where he met Canova in October of that same year to whom he was introduced by the painter Henry Tresham. Later he and his wife dined with the Flaxmans in Rome. In April 1792 he made drawings for Townley Hall in Ireland. He exhibited views of the Appian Way near Capua and one of the Greek temples at Paestum at the Royal Academy on his return to England.

Playfair died young at the age of 39 on 23 February 1794. Joseph Farington states that he ‘died of a broken heart in consequence of the death of his eldest son’. Sir John Soane and Joseph Farington helped his widow organise the sale of his books and drawings which were sold at Christies on 10 January 1795. It was at this time that Soane acquired the portfolio of drawings which are still held in the museum.

Of his children two became well-known in their fields: James George Playfair practised medicine in Florence and William Henry Playfair who was three at the time of his father’s death became an architect.

Playfair’s early designs have a refined neo-classical simplicity. Later works are more sophisticated and follow the example of Soane and Ledoux. This can be seen in his designs for the mausoleum at Methven, Perthshire and in his unexecuted designs for a house at Ardkinglas. However it is at Cairness he was able to give full expression to his neo-classical predelications with its great hemicycle of offices, bold semi-cicular arches, primitivist Doric columns and Egyptian detailing in the billiard room. These bear similarities to some of the work of the French neo-classical architects, Boulée and Ledoux. This interest is borne out by some items which he had in his library and are noted in the sale catalogue and included Wincklemann’s ‘Histoire des Arts Anciens’, ‘Ruines de Pestum’ ‘4 French books on building’ and ‘A portfolio with architectural designs and the Halles aux Graines’. Had he not died young, he might have become a leading neo-classical designer.

Cairness is in a remote part of Scotland and therefore had little impact on other architects. Playfair’s other houses for example Kinnaird Castle and Melville Castle were designed in a castellated style but do not compare favourably with the master of the castle style, Robert Adam. In contrast the design for Gothic church at Farnell in Angus is unusual and sophisticated. The design he made for ‘an American City’, probably at the behest of his brother William, have not survived as far as is known and may have shown further evidence of his interest in French neo-classical architecture.

Publications:

'A Method of Constructing Vapour Baths' (1783)

'Unto the Right Honourable the Lords of Council and Session, the petition of James Playfair of London, architect, and Robert Playfair, his assignee, chargers; (1792) Edinburgh' [relates to the building of the church at Kirriemuir].

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Additional Notes

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Business Addresses2 classic

Address	Class	Date From	Date From Type	Date To	Date To Type	Notes
London England	Business

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The following individuals were employed or trained by this person (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2 classic

Name	Name Link	Date From	Date To	Position	Notes
John Smith	201801	After 1792	In year 1794	Apprentice

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The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

Author	Title	Date	Publisher	Part	Notes
Colvin, Howard	A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840	2008	London: YUP. 4th edition
Farington, Joseph	Diary
Pride, Glen L	The Kingdom of Fife	1999	The Rutland Press	2nd Edition	p50-51, p53

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The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical Name	Publisher	Date Circ	Edition	Notes
Caledonian Mercury		1794/03/01		Date uncertain as in one place on BL site it is recorded as 1 February 1794 but this is clearly an error.

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Basic Biographic Details

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Employees or Pupils2 classic

References

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