Regency Design 1790-1840 - Hardcover

Morley, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810937689 ISBN 13: 9780810937680

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 1993

Synopsis

Book by Morley, John

About this title

Reviews

England's Regency style, exemplified by Windsor Castle's sumptuous interiors and the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, an exotic amalgam of Chinese, Indian and neoclassical motifs, reached its peak of hedonistic refinement during the reign of George IV (1811-1830). In this thorough, lavishly illustrated study, Morley, a former keeper at the Victoria and Albert Museum, presents Regency as an enchanting, if autumnal, style, a humane haven from the encroaching uglification of the Industrial Revolution. From simple cottages to soothing gardens to neo-Gothic castles, Regnecy evolved in a dizzying succession of design modes: Etruscan, Pompeian, "archeological," rococo, antiquarian and so forth. Morley clearly differentiates these often intertwined styles, aided by hundreds of reproductions of prints, watercolors, engravings, paintings and plans. Fragmented modern people may well envy the sense of luxuriant calm and order emanating from these appealing Regency buildings, interiors and landscapes.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

While the British Regency lasted only from 1811 to 1820, the Regency style developed over half a century. The author identifies thematic influences on gardens, buildings, interior decoration, and furniture that characterized the fashion choices of both the upper and the emerging commercial middle class. Among these influences, Morley highlights the arts of Greece and Rome, the grandeur of medieval cathedrals, the mystery of the Orient, as well as late 18th-century aesthetic theories. He chronicles a time when enthusiastic new combinations of old forms ended in sometimes gracious, sometimes outrageous results. While spanning the entire "growth, maturity, and decadence of a distinct style," Morley paints a broad canvas with an elegant brush, dipping here into primary sources, there into original plans and illustrations. Lavish and stylish in keeping with its subject matter, this is an excellent survey of the artistic, intellectual, and social relationships that shaped a generation. Recommended for all art libraries and larger general collections.
- Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0810937689
• ISBN 13: 9780810937680
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 473