Thornton, Peter, 1925-2007.

Sir John Soane : the architect as collector, 1753-1837 / Peter Thornton and Helen Dorey ; photographs by Ole Woldbye.

New York : H.N. Abrams, 1992.

128 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm

"Sir John Soane (1753-1837), the son of a bricklayer, rose to become one of England's greatest architects as well a remarkably astute collector of objects and works of art. His house, in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London, was bequeathed to the British nation by a private Act of Parliament in 1833 for the benefit of "Amateurs and Students of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture," and the building itself and the collections within now comprise a unique, and extremely popular, public museum." "Soane was at the very center of artistic activity in late Georgian England, and his collections reveal the intellectual preoccupations of his day. Amassed over his long lifetime during his travels and from his friends and professional contacts, they include paintings by Hogarth and Turner; Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities; Chinese ceramics; and a vast number of drawings, clocks, models, furniture, gems, jewelry, manuscripts, and other objets d'art that reveal the breadth of Soane's tastes and interests." "This handsome book focuses on more than 120 works from Soane's collections, ranging from paintings and sculpture to a watch given by Queen Anne to Sir Christopher Wren. Peter Thornton, Curator of Sir John Soane's Museum, and his research assistant, Helen Dorey, have written lively commentaries to the 130 illustrations, 99 in full color, providing information about the objects themselves and their history, and at the same time shedding light on Soane's life, character, and cultural pursuits." "Soane prepared his museum personally, spending huge sums of money and gathering items for their intrinsic value, their appearance, or their associations. His goal was to create a poetic setting, using architecture to evoke the spirit of antiquity. For this reason he arranged his collections not didactically by periods or cultures, but rather mingled together, offering a springboard for the imagination.".
"Sir John Soane: The Architect as Collector is the first book to focus purely on the collections of this working architect, who acquired his treasures as an anthology of antique architecture and decoration and whose hope was that future generations would find in them a source of reference and inspiration."--BOOK JACKET.

0810938278
9780810938274

Soane, John, 1753-1837 Art collections Catalogs.
Soane, John, Sir, 1753-1837 Collections d'art Catalogues.
Soane, John, 1753-1837
Soane, John 1753-1837
Soane, John.
Sir John Soane's Museum Catalogs.
Sir John Soane's Museum Catalogues.
Sir John Soane's Museum
Bauhaus Dessau 1986-1994 Bereich Architektur und Sammlungen
Art Private collections England London Catalogs.
Art Collections privées Angleterre Londres Catalogues.
Objets d'art Collections privées Angleterre Londres Catalogues.
Art Private collections
Bildband
Sammlung
England London

Catalogs.
Room-by-room inventories.

Dorey, Helen.

Location: Library main 208529
Call No.: NA44.S676.25 S5 1992
Status: Available