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From the middle of the eighteenth century, with the growth of travel at home and abroad and the increase in leisure for the wealthier classes, the arts became the subject of more widespread appreciation and discussion. The rapid expansion of book and periodical publishing in this area both reflected and encouraged interest in art and art history among the wider reading public. This series throws light on the development of visual culture and aesthetics. It covers topics from the Grand Tour to the great exhibitions of the nineteenth century, and includes art criticism and biography.

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131 results in Cambridge Library Collection - Art and Architecture

Page 4 of 7

The Book of Old Edinburgh
  • And Hand-Book to the ‘Old Edinburgh Street' Designed by Sydney Mitchell, Architect, for the International Exhibition of Industry, Science, and Art, Edinburgh, 1886
  • John Charles Dunlop, Alison Hay Dunlop
  • Illustrated by William Fergusson Brassey Hole
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    24 October 2013
  • This work was first published in 1886 to accompany one of the more eccentric displays at the Edinburgh International Exhibition of the same year. Historically accurate reconstructions of noteworthy but long-demolished Edinburgh buildings were built side by side to create a fictional street. This guide provided visitors with key historical information relating to the recreated buildings and monuments ranging from the medieval market cross to the historic tolbooth. Fact is combined with anecdote, situating the buildings in the wider context of Edinburgh's rich history. The text was written by John Charles Dunlop and Alison Hay Dunlop, antiquarian siblings little known beyond their Edinburgh circles. Of particular interest are the illustrations by William Fergusson Brassey Hole (1846–1917), who later painted the murals in the entrance hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Travels in Southern Europe and the Levant, 1810–1817
  • The Journal of C. R. Cockerell, R.A.
  • Charles Robert Cockerell
  • Edited by Samuel Pepys Cockerell
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    19 September 2013
  • The architect Charles Robert Cockerell (1788–1863) was encouraged to travel at a young age, so that he might draw inspiration from the great works of European architecture. However, when the Napoleonic Wars made parts of the continent inaccessible to Englishmen, his eye was turned towards southern Europe and the Ottoman Empire. This version of the Grand Tour took up seven years, during which he recorded the events in his journals. There his observations would have remained had it not been for the editorial labours of his son, Samuel Pepys Cockerell (1844–1921), who published the present work in 1903. The narrative takes in such cities as Constantinople, Athens, Florence and Rome. Touching also on friendships made with such figures as Byron, the text gives a sense of what continental travel was like at that time and how the architecture of the past continued to captivate designers in the modern age.

Recollections of A. N. Welby Pugin, and his Father, Augustus Pugin
  • With Notices of their Works
  • Benjamin Ferrey
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    27 June 2013
    First published in:
    1861
  • The architect and designer Augustus Welby Pugin (1812–52), whose early commissions included furniture for George IV at Windsor, assured his place in history through his work with Sir Charles Barry on the Palace of Westminster following the 1834 fire. A pivotal figure in Britain's Gothic Revival, he became a Roman Catholic in 1835, combining his religion with his devotion to the medieval in building projects such as Nottingham Cathedral, St George's Cathedral in Southwark, and Mount St Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire. Benjamin Ferrey (1810–80) studied architectural draughtsmanship under Augustus Charles Pugin (1762–1832). Boarding with the Pugins for seven years, he gained first-hand knowledge of father and son. This 1861 work is a lasting achievement in architectural biography. It includes a substantial appendix by Edmund Sheridan Purcell, a family friend whose own Catholicism equipped him to discuss the religious aspects of the younger Pugin's character and work.

The Life and Studies of Benjamin West, Esq., President of the Royal Academy of London
  • John Galt
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    17 April 2014
    First published in:
    1816
  • Originally published in two volumes in 1816 and 1820, this collection of biographical information and anecdotes tracing the career of the artist Benjamin West (1738–1820) is reissued here in one volume. Prepared by the Scottish novelist John Galt (1779–1839), it is based on the personal recollections of West himself, yet it is acknowledged to include some embellishment. Born in Pennsylvania and largely self-taught, West was the first American artist to travel through Italy to improve his skill by studying antique sculptures and old master paintings. After he came to London in 1763, his strength as a history painter was recognised, not least by George III, and he became a leader of the neoclassical movement. Instrumental in establishing the Royal Academy of Arts, West became its second president in 1792. Galt's narrative emphasises the importance of West in the history of art in Britain.

The Life of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Ll.D., F.R.S., F.S.A., etc., Late President of the Royal Academy
  • Comprising Original Anecdotes of Many Distinguished Persons, his Contemporaries, and a Brief Analysis of his Discourses
  • Volume 2
  • James Northcote
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    20 March 2014
    First published in:
    1818
  • A fellow Devonian, James Northcote (1746–1831) was an admirer and pupil of Sir Joshua Reynolds, whose two-volume biography he published in 1813–15. Reissued here is the 'revised and augmented' second edition of 1818. Northcote is self-deprecating as to his fitness for the task, but claims that a worthy biography of a great artist can be written only by another artist, and his close personal knowledge of his subject and the circle in which Reynolds moved gives him insights, as well as providing anecdotes, which would not be available to a more 'professional' author. Volume 2 covers the remainder of Reynolds' life, including a description of his elaborate funeral and various assessments of his work, as well as details of the sale of his paintings, and a short account of the life of William Gandy, an obscure seventeenth-century painter whom Reynolds greatly admired.

Letters of an Architect from France, Italy and Greece
  • Volume 1
  • Joseph Woods
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    23 January 2014
  • In 1816, architect and botanist Joseph Woods (1776–1864) embarked on a two-year journey through France, Switzerland, Italy and Greece, documenting interesting flora as well as buildings of note. This two-volume work first appeared in 1828. The account stands apart from other contemporary travelogues owing to the application of Woods' architectural insight. By critically assessing ancient and modern buildings for strengths and defects, Woods hoped to inform fellow architects as to how they might produce beautiful buildings through the study of different modes of construction and decoration. Accordingly, the text is accompanied by Woods' drawings of important buildings and architectural features. In Volume 1, he charts his year-long journey through France and Switzerland to Rome, including discussion of the notable ecclesiastical edifices of Notre Dame and the Vatican.

Sir Francis Chantrey
  • Recollections of His Life, Practice and Opinions
  • George Jones
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    19 September 2013
    First published in:
    1849
  • A painter, army officer and eminent Royal Academician, George Jones (1786–1869) enjoyed a close friendship with the sculptor Sir Francis Chantrey (1781–1841). Britain's portrait sculptor of choice at the peak of his career, Chantrey is most celebrated for works such as his busts of Sir Walter Scott and John Horne Tooke, his statue of James Watt, the equestrian bronze of Sir Thomas Munro in India, and The Sleeping Children in Lichfield Cathedral. Originally published in 1849, this book is an affectionate tribute to the man and his work, featuring also a selection of his letters to Jones, the engraver Charles Turner, and other correspondents. Whereas Jones's patriotism led him to enlist, Chantrey's was reflected in his enthusiasm for the advancement and promotion of his country's art: his generous bequest to the Royal Academy allowed for the purchase of numerous works of British art, now held by the Tate.

Nollekens and his Times
  • Comprehending a Life of that Celebrated Sculptor, and Memoirs of Several Contemporary Artists
  • Volume 2
  • John Thomas Smith
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    13 February 2014
    First published in:
    1828
  • The sculptor Joseph Nollekens (1737–1823) was famed for his portrait busts of leading figures of his day. While working in Italy in the 1760s, he established contacts among a group of aristocratic British patrons, going on to become London's most fashionable sculptor upon his return to England in 1771. The draughtsman and antiquary John Thomas Smith (1766–1833) had been at one time a pupil of Nollekens. It is believed that this anecdotal two-volume biography, first published in 1828, was written as an act of revenge. Having been promised a considerable legacy in the sculptor's will, Smith was disappointed to receive only an executor's fee. The work contains little analysis concerning the sculptor's art, relating instead much gossip and anecdotes of a personal nature. Nonetheless, it presents a vivid picture of the London art world at that time. Volume 2 covers the infamous will and provides biographical sketches of Nollekens' contemporaries.

Life and Times of Sir Joshua Reynolds
  • With Notices of Some of his Cotemporaries
  • Volume 2
  • Charles Robert Leslie, Tom Taylor
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    27 March 2014
    First published in:
    1865
  • This two-volume life of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–92) was begun by the Royal Academician Charles Leslie (1794–1859), who had previously published a life of John Constable, also reissued in this series. On Leslie's death, the journalist and dramatist Tom Taylor (1817–80) completed the work, published in 1865. Leslie's motive was that he felt that Reynolds had been unfairly treated by an earlier biography. He aimed to show that Reynolds was 'the genial centre of a most various and brilliant society, as well as the transmitter of its chief figures to our time by his potent art'. One of the greatest artists of the eighteenth century, especially famous for his portraits, Reynolds was also instrumental in founding the Royal Academy, and was its first president. Volume 2 begins in 1773, and ends with Reynolds' death. Leslie also provides an assessment of his status as an artist.

Hogarth's London
  • Pictures of the Manners of the Eighteenth Century
  • Henry Benjamin Wheatley
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    13 February 2014
  • First published in 1909, this illustrated study considers the work of the artist and satirist William Hogarth (1697–1764), focusing on his depiction of London and its inhabitants. A devoted Londoner, Hogarth won great acclaim in his lifetime for the wit displayed in his many paintings and engravings. His work explored the many facets of London life, from the highest to the lowest social classes, from scenes of politics and business to churches, hospitals and prisons. Bibliographer, editor and prolific author, Henry Benjamin Wheatley (1838–1917) places Hogarth's work in the context of the artist's background and early life. Wheatley's attention to detail complements the selected examples of Hogarth's work, providing a portrait of eighteenth-century manners as seen through the eyes of one of the most acute observers of the age. Several of Wheatley's other works, including London Past and Present (1891), are also reissued in this series.

Observations, Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Year 1772, on Several Parts of England
  • Particularly the Mountains, and Lakes of Cumberland, and Westmoreland
  • Volume 1
  • William Gilpin
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    21 November 2013
  • Clergyman, schoolmaster and writer on aesthetics, William Gilpin (1724–1804) is best known for his works on the picturesque. In his Essay on Prints, published in 1768 and reissued in this series, he defined picturesque as 'a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture'. First published in 1786, this two-volume work formed part of a successful series which recorded his reflections on the picturesque across British landscapes. It traces the journey he made in 1772, equipped with notebook and sketching materials, in the Lake District. Describing his route from southern England, noting highlights along the way, Volume 1 includes discussion of Furness, Windermere and Keswick. The volume also features several reproductions of Gilpin's pen-and-wash drawings. Further exploring the concept of the picturesque, his volumes of Observations on other parts of Britain are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.

Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, &c.
  • Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Summer of the Year 1770
  • William Gilpin
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    21 November 2013
  • Clergyman, schoolmaster and writer on aesthetics, William Gilpin (1724–1804) is best known for his works on the picturesque. In his Essay on Prints, published in 1768 and reissued in this series, he defined picturesque as 'a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture'. First published in 1782, the present work was the first in a series which recorded his reflections on the picturesque across British landscapes. It traces the journey he made, equipped with notebook and sketching materials, along the River Wye and into South Wales, visiting such notable sites as Tintern Abbey. As well as describing his route and its highlights, Gilpin includes several reproductions of his pen-and-wash drawings. Further developing and exploring the concept of the picturesque, his later volumes of Observations on various parts of Britain are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.

Observations on the Western Parts of England, Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty
  • To Which Are Added, a Few Remarks on the Picturesque Beauties of the Isle of Wight
  • William Gilpin
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    02 January 2014
  • Clergyman, schoolmaster and writer on aesthetics, William Gilpin (1724–1804) is best known for his works on the picturesque. In his Essay on Prints, published in 1768 and reissued in this series, he defined picturesque as 'a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture'. First published in 1798, the present work is one of a series which records his reflections on the picturesque across British landscapes. It traces the journey he made, equipped with notebook and sketching materials, westwards from Wiltshire through Somerset and Devon to Cornwall, returning via Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. He describes his impressions of famous landmarks such as Stonehenge, Glastonbury Abbey, the River Tamar and Carisbrooke Castle, and includes several evocative reproductions of his pen-and-wash drawings. The companion volumes of Observations on other parts of Britain are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.

A Memoir of Thomas Bewick Written by Himself
  • Embellished by Numerous Wood Engravings, Designed and Engraved by the Author for a Work on British Fishes, and Never before Published
  • Thomas Bewick
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    20 March 2014
    First published in:
    1862
  • Synonymous with finely crafted wood engravings of the natural world, Thomas Bewick (1753–1828) perfected an instantly recognisable style which was to influence book illustration well into the nineteenth century. Begun in November 1822, at the behest of his daughter Jane, and completed in 1828, Bewick's autobiography was first published in 1862. The opening chapters recall vividly his early life on Tyneside, his interest in the natural world, his passion for drawing, and his apprenticeship with engraver Ralph Beilby in Newcastle, where he would learn his trade and then work in fruitful partnership for twenty years. Later passages in the work reveal Bewick's strongly held views on religion, politics and nature. The work also features illustrations for a proposed work on British fish. Bewick's General History of Quadrupeds (1790) and History of British Birds (1797–1804), the works which secured his high reputation, are also reissued in this series.

An Attempt to Discriminate the Styles of English Architecture, from the Conquest to the Reformation
  • Preceded by a Sketch of the Grecian and Roman Orders, with Notices of Nearly Five Hundred English Buildings
  • Thomas Rickman
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    24 October 2013
  • First published in 1817, this highly influential study by Thomas Rickman (1776–1841) provides a classic overview of English medieval architecture. A devotee of the Gothic style, Rickman forged a successful career as an architect of Anglican churches, in the face of criticism from his Quaker brethren. This study is founded on the attention to detail and delight of a true enthusiast, drawing on knowledge of some five hundred buildings across the British Isles. Describing Greek and Roman influences before delineating English architecture since the Norman Conquest, Rickman presents a compelling narrative of architectural styles and precedents. Illustrated with a number of detailed drawings, the work ends with short entries, organised by county, on notable cathedrals, churches and abbeys. Introducing terminology and classifications that are still used today, the book quickly became an essential reference work for architectural students and practitioners. This reissue is of the first edition.

Nollekens and his Times
  • Comprehending a Life of that Celebrated Sculptor, and Memoirs of Several Contemporary Artists
  • Volume 1
  • John Thomas Smith
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    13 February 2014
    First published in:
    1828
  • The sculptor Joseph Nollekens (1737–1823) was famed for his portrait busts of leading figures of his day. While working in Italy in the 1760s, he established contacts among a group of aristocratic British patrons, going on to become London's most fashionable sculptor upon his return to England in 1771. The draughtsman and antiquary John Thomas Smith (1766–1833) had been at one time a pupil of Nollekens. It is believed that this anecdotal two-volume biography, first published in 1828, was written as an act of revenge. Having been promised a considerable legacy in the sculptor's will, Smith was disappointed to receive only an executor's fee. The work contains little analysis concerning the sculptor's art, relating instead much gossip and anecdotes of a personal nature. Nonetheless, it presents a vivid picture of the London art world at that time. Volume 1 concentrates on aspects of Nollekens' character, habits and opinions.

Observations, Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Year 1776, on Several Parts of Great Britain
  • Particularly the High-Lands of Scotland
  • Volume 2
  • William Gilpin
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    02 January 2014
  • Clergyman, schoolmaster and writer on aesthetics, William Gilpin (1724–1804) is best known for his works on the picturesque. In his Essay on Prints, published in 1768 and reissued in this series, he defined picturesque as 'a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture'. First published in 1789, this two-volume work forms part of a series which records his reflections on the picturesque across British landscapes. It traces the journey he made in 1776, equipped with notebook and sketching materials, exploring the landscape of the Scottish Highlands via northern England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Reproductions of his pen-and-wash drawings are included. The companion volumes of Gilpin's Observations on other parts of Britain are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. Volume 2 of the present work covers the journey from Loch Fyne to Keswick, taking in sites such as Loch Lomond and Dumbarton Rock.

Observations, Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Year 1776, on Several Parts of Great Britain
  • Particularly the High-Lands of Scotland
  • Volume 1
  • William Gilpin
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    02 January 2014
  • Clergyman, schoolmaster and writer on aesthetics, William Gilpin (1724–1804) is best known for his works on the picturesque. In his Essay on Prints, published in 1768 and reissued in this series, he defined picturesque as 'a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture'. First published in 1789, this two-volume work forms part of a series which records his reflections on the picturesque across British landscapes. It traces the journey he made in 1776, equipped with notebook and sketching materials, exploring the landscape of the Scottish Highlands via northern England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Reproductions of his pen-and-wash drawings are included. The companion volumes of Gilpin's Observations on other parts of Britain are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. Volume 1 of the present work takes in such notable sites as Holyrood Palace, Stirling Castle, the Grampian Mountains and Glencoe.

Memoirs of the Life and Works of George Romney
  • Including Various Letters, and Testimonies to his Genius, etc., Also, Some Particulars of the Life of Peter Romney, his Brother
  • John Romney
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    05 September 2013
  • Written by his son John Romney (1757–1832) and published in 1830, nearly three decades after the artist's death, this collection of anecdotes and biographical episodes traces the extraordinary career of George Romney (1734–1802), highlighting his early training as a joiner in the family firm, his artistic education at the hands of the disreputable Christopher Steele, and his eventual fame as a portraitist of fashionable London. Recollections of personal and professional encounters with such influential figures as Laurence Sterne and Richard Payne Knight provide insights into the circumstances that inspired Romney's most famous works. Including an engraving of his self-portrait of c.1784, a section on his brother and fellow painter Peter Romney (1743–77), and a list of the designs and studies which were donated in 1817 to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, this work reveals much about the eighteenth-century art world, its patrons and its pitfalls.

The Life and Letters of Joseph Severn
  • William Sharp
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    04 July 2013
    First published in:
    1892
  • The novelist and mystic William Sharp (1855–1905) wrote or edited around fifty books, both in his own name and under the pseudonym of Fiona MacLeod. An introduction to Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1881 led to his publishing a study of the poet and artist in the following year. Appointed as London art critic of the Glasgow Herald in 1883, he went on to make many more distinguished acquaintances. Originally published in 1892, this work concerns another keeper of illustrious contacts: Joseph Severn (1793–1879), painter and British consul at Rome, who is best remembered for his close friendship with John Keats. As biographer, Sharp utilises Severn's vast though occasionally inconsistent correspondence, tracing his life from his youth, through his years of intimacy with Keats, to his death and eventual burial at the great poet's side.

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