Thomas Hope

Thomas Hope (1769-1831) was descended from a family of Scottish bankers who resided in Holland. When hostile French Revolutionary troops occupied Amsterdam in 1795, the wealthy mercantile aristrocrats relocated to London. Rather than enter the family business, this free-thinking young man of the Enlightenment used his enormous wealth to finance an eight year journey across Europe, Asia Minor and Africa. Neither missionary nor imperialist, rather an insightful traveller wise beyond his years,...See more

Thomas Hope (1769-1831) was descended from a family of Scottish bankers who resided in Holland. When hostile French Revolutionary troops occupied Amsterdam in 1795, the wealthy mercantile aristrocrats relocated to London. Rather than enter the family business, this free-thinking young man of the Enlightenment used his enormous wealth to finance an eight year journey across Europe, Asia Minor and Africa. Neither missionary nor imperialist, rather an insightful traveller wise beyond his years, the cultural explorer initially recorded his impressions in more than 300 museum quality drawings. Upon returning to England, fate appeared to have defined Hopes life in a conventional, if gently artistic manner. He had married the daughter of a respected clergyman, fathered four sons, established a London home full of artistic treasures, authored celebrated works on costume and furniture and was, to all appearances, admired and respectable. Then his repressed soul reawakened with a furious and mysterious literary shout. In 1817 Hope began work on a book, Anastasius, that was destined to astonish the West by lifting the curtain of ignorance which had encouraged enmity against the East. Yet this was no mere retracing of his earlier travels. In an unexpected move, Hope created an extraordinary narrator-hero who strode upon the stage and commanded the worlds attention. Ultimately described as one of the great books of the world, Hopes Magnum Opus influenced Thackeray, Twain and Melville before falling into an undeserved obscurity. Excerpt from Anastasius - Copyright (c) 2008. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. See less