Overview
The interiors of the great country and town houses built in Britain in the eighteenth century were splendid creations, increasingly extravagant as fashions changed and aristocratic home owners attempted to outdo one another. This gorgeous book surveys the decorative schemes of these fabulous homes, considering the combined effects created by design, furniture, textiles, silver, and artworks.
John Cornforth, the foremost authority on British interiors of this era, covers a wide range of subjects. He discusses changing social practice and the uses to which rooms were put; the way that fashions in dress mirrored fashions in interiors; the impact of chinoiserie and Eastern styles that became prevalent due to burgeoning trade; the primacy of upholstery in beds, curtains, wall hangings, seat furniture, and case covers; the influence of decorator William Kent; and the ways that collections of art were integrated into designs. And he concludes with detailed case studies of eight preeminent country houses.
Engagingly written and generously illustrated, this book is certain to appeal to anyone who maintains, restores, or enjoys visiting historic houses.
Synopsis
An authoritative and lavishly illustrated survey of the interiors of the grand houses of early eighteenth-century Britain
Library Journal
Cornforth's previous work, English Decoration in the 18th Century, written for the Historic Buildings Representatives of the National Trust as a resource for their restoration and care of homes of that time, is considered a classic. This book narrows his focus to examine the artistic, sociological, and historical influences that shaped the interior decoration of large country houses built in England between 1685 and 1760. In particular, Cornforth examines extant examples of these homes and concentrates on the work of William Kent as an architectural decorator. Illustrated with period paintings and furnishings, photographic reproductions (from Country Life magazine's Picture Library), and contemporary color photographs, this scholarly, authoritative work would be a worthwhile addition to large and academic collections as well as collections focusing on 18th-century British life. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.