The British collector William Beckford helped to define many of the most significant parameters of nineteenth-century collecting, as he was unbound by conventional intellectual or aesthetic prejudice. He was among the first of the great connoisseurs to collect Asian and Islamic art while breaking with the taste of his contemporaries. He assembled an eclectic and luxurious collection that included ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art, as well as seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and early-nineteenth-century objects. His active ...
Read More
The British collector William Beckford helped to define many of the most significant parameters of nineteenth-century collecting, as he was unbound by conventional intellectual or aesthetic prejudice. He was among the first of the great connoisseurs to collect Asian and Islamic art while breaking with the taste of his contemporaries. He assembled an eclectic and luxurious collection that included ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art, as well as seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and early-nineteenth-century objects. His active participation in the design of various objects reveals a discriminating aesthetic sensibility that set him apart from his contemporaries. His influence also extended beyond his day: generations of renowned private collectors in Great Britain, on the Continent, and in the United States have reflected his interest in the art of many cultures and periods. This magnificent book describes Beckford's flamboyant personality and unconventional life. Authorities tell us that at an early age, Beckford was known as "England's wealthiest son", due to a prodigal income generated from Jamaican sugar plantations. As a youth, he travelled widely and made his mark as a novelist, composer of music, and impresario of design. His most ambitious project was his fantastic residence Fonthill Abbey; the construction and furnishing of this Gothic Revival edifice consumed nearly twenty-five years of Beckford's life and vast amounts of his fortune, branding him with a reputation as a recluse and eccentric. In addition to providing details about Beckford's life, the book discusses 175 of the finest works of art that once were part of Beckford's legendary collections and examines his travels and great building projects. This richly illustrated book is the catalogue for an exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Culture from October 2001 to January 2002 and at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, from February to April 2002.
Read Less
Add this copy of William Beckford, 1760-1844: an Eye for the Magnificent to cart. $75.00, good condition, Sold by Ray Boas, Bookseller rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Walpole, NH, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of William Beckford, 1760-1844: an Eye for the Magnificent to cart. $77.17, very good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of William Beckford, 1760-1844: an Eye for the Magnificent to cart. $80.40, very good condition, Sold by Half Moon Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Kingston, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of William Beckford 1760-1844: an Eye for the Magnificent to cart. $89.25, very good condition, Sold by Mullen Books, Inc. ABAA / ILAB rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Marietta, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and....
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
VG/VG but for slight edge wear to dj; Black cloth with gold lettering; pumpkin end papers; color pictorial dj with black lettering; 448 pp. with numerous color and bw illustrations, numbered by chapter. This book discusses 175 of the finest paintings, drawings, engravings, lithographs and wealth of decorative arts that once were part of Beckford's legendary collection. It was the catalogue for the exhibition held at Bard and at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. A lush catalogue.
Add this copy of William Beckford, 1760-1844: an Eye for the Magnificent to cart. $159.95, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of William Beckford, 1760-1844: an Eye for the Magnificent to cart. $180.00, very good condition, Sold by Westsider Rare & Used Books In rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from New York, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Yale Univ Pr.
Add this copy of William Beckford, 1760-1844: an Eye for the Magnificent to cart. $195.00, very good condition, Sold by Design Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from New York, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Yale University Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Fine jacket. Signed by Author This is a near fine hardcover copy with a fine dust jacket. The book is signed by the editor, Derek E. Ostergard, on the half title-page, not inscribed, just signed. Very clean inside and out, but one short name on the front endpaper. Illustrated mostly in color, some black & white. 12" high X 10" wide, 448 pages. Large heavy book, foreign shipping will be extra. This book will be securely wrapped and packed in a sturdy box and shipped with tracking.
