William Kent: Designing Georgian Britain edited by Susan Weber
Susan Weber, editor
The most versatile British designer of the 18th century, William Kent (1685–1748) created a style for a new nation and monarchy. The scope of his achievements encompasses architecture, palatial interiors, elaborate gardens, and exquisite furniture. Among his creative innovations are bold combinations of elements from Palladian, rococo, and gothic design, anticipating the intermingling of architectural styles we see today. William Kent:Designing Georgian Britain is the first comprehensive exploration of this important designer and his extraordinary creations.
An international team of the foremost experts in the field examines the entire spectrum of Kent’s oeuvre, including the interiors at Kensington Palace and Houghton Hall. Essays illuminate issues about the authorship of Kent’s furniture and metalwork, situate his contributions in relation to architectural discourse, and classify the characteristics of his designs. Copiously illustrated, including many stunning new photographs, this handsome volume celebrates the work and career of one of the most influential figures in the history of architecture and design.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Note to the Reader
Introduction: Evaluations and Reassessments of William Kent: A Historiography
Susan Weber
Chronology
Catherine Arbuthnott, John Harris, and Susan Weber
William Kent: A Life
John Harris
The Royal Court, Political Culture, and the Art of Friendship, ca. 1685-1750
Clarissa Campbell Orr
Kent's Patrons
Catherine Arbuthnott
Kent and Italy
Steven Brindle
Kent the Painter
Steven Brindle
Architectural and Ornamental Draftsman
John Harris
Town Houses
David Watkin
From "Gusto" to "Kentissime": Kent's Designs for Country Houses, Villas, and Lodges
Julius Bryant
A Note on "Kent" Frames
Julius Bryant
Kent and the Gothic Revival
Roger White
Royal Commissions
Steven Brindle
The Royal Barge
Geoffrey Beard and John Hardy
Public Commissions
Frank Salmon
Landscape Architecture
John Dixon Hunt
Garden Buildings
John Harris
Kent as Book Illustrator
Nicholas Savage
The Well of Inspiration: Sources for Kent's Furniture Design
Susan Weber
Kent and the Georgian Baroque Style in Furniture: Domestic Commissions
Susan Weber
Kent's Metalwork Designs
Michael Snodin
Exempla Vertutis: Designs for Sculpture
Julius Bryant
The Legacy
Tim Knox
Catalogue of the Exhibition
Selected Bibliography
About the Authors
Index
Photography Credits
Contributors
Catherine Arbuthnott
Consulting curator of exhibitions at the Bard Graduate Center
Geoffrey Beard
former Director of the Visual Arts Centre at the University of Lancaster
Steven Brindle
Senior Properties Historian in the Curatoorial Department of English Heritage
Julius Bryant
Keeper of Word & Image at the Victoria and Albert Museum
John Harris
Curator Emeritus of the Drawings Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects
John Dixon Hunt
Emeritus Professor of the History and Theory of Landscape at the School of Design
Tim Knox
Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum
Clarissa Campbell Orr
Reader in Enlightenment, Gender, and Court Studies
Frank Salmon
Senior Lecturer in History of Art at the University of Cambridge
Nicholas Savage
Deputy Librarian of the Library and Collections Department of the Royal Academy of Arts
Michael Snodin
Honorary Curator and Chairman of the Strawberry Hill Trust
David Watkin
Emeritus Professor of the History of Architecture at the University of Cambridge
Susan Weber
Founder and Director of the Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture
Roger White
Freelance architectural historian and contributing editor of House & Garden magazine
Other Details
ISBN
9780300196184
Dimensions
12.5 x 10.1 x 2.4 in.
Page count
704 pages, 624 color illus.
Publication date
September 19, 2013
Binding
Paper over board
