Giles Worsley notes that architectural styles do not always supersede one another but can co-exist, although one style may be dominant. Focusing on the Palladian classical tradition, introduced by Inigo Jones in the 1610s, he shows that this tradition did not die out with Jones's death and revive only during the first half of the eighteenth century, as is commonly assumed, but remained viable until the end of the eighteenth century, rivalling the baroque and rococo styles. Worsley argues that neo-classicism, generally seen as a generic description of architecture in the late eighteenth century, was actually prevalent in British architecture in varying degrees of strength as early as 1615. He examines the architecture of Scotland, Ireland and North America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and shows how styles were influenced by English Palladianism. He also places Palladianism in a European context, pointing out that it was not an isolated phenomenon but was an important feature of Italian, French, Dutch and German architecture during this time. The book thus not only sheds fresh light on British architecture but also provides a new outlook on European and American architecture as a whole.

Classical Architecture in Britain: The Heroic Age (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in Britis)

Arts & Photography

Worsley, Giles

Architecture

Paul Mellon Centre BA

In this groundbreaking volume, conventional assumptions about one of England’s greatest and most influential classical architects are turned on their head. Traditionally, Inigo Jones has been looked upon as an isolated, even old-fashioned, figure in European architecture, still espousing the Palladian ideals of the 16th century when European contemporaries were turning to the Baroque. Yet an investigation of contemporary European architecture and of Jones’s buildings belies this impression, demonstrating that Jones must be viewed in the context of a European-wide, early-17th-century classicist movement. Giles Worsley examines the full range of Jones’s architecture, from humble stable to royal palace. Worsley shows that key motifs that have been seen as proof of Jones’s Palladian loyalties―particularly the Serliana, the portico, and the centrally planned villa―have a much older and deeper meaning as symbols of sovereignty. The book transforms our understanding not only of Inigo Jones but also of the architecture of his time. Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.

Inigo Jones and the European Classicist Tradition

History

Europe

Paul Mellon Centre

Architectural Drawings of the Regency Period, 1790-1837

The Regency period was one of the great ages of architectural draftsmanship. The drawings (150 53 in color) chosen to illustrate this beautiful volume afford a representative account of Regency architecture, from the grandest public building to the most humble terraced house, from the work of the greatest architects to that of the least known. An essay on architecture and the architectural profession during the Regency period introduces the drawings. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

The American Institute of Architects Press

Englands Lost Houses: From the Archives of Country Life

Of all the photographs in the Country Life archive, none are more poignant than the images of houses that have been lost through demolition or fire. In a great number of cases, the photographs taken by the magazine for their weekly feature on country houses are the only record of many of the most important houses and interiors that were destroyed. From Uffington House, Lincolnshire, a fine Restoration house burnt in 1904, to the Rococo magnificence of Nuthall temple, Nottinghamshire, its site now buried under the M1 motorway, this book provides a moving testimony to one of the saddest chapters in English 20th century history. Giles Worsley's incisive text makes this more than just an elegy for lost glories. By studying the circumstances behind one hundred houses that have gone, he is able to explain why such a large number were destroyed in the last century. He explains how many houses were lost as great landowners, responding to economic and political changes, sold off secondary estates and demolished palatial houses of the nineteenth century. He also examines how chance played its part, with fire emerging as one of the chief causes of destruction. As the twentieth century recedes into history the story of the country house over the past hundred years becomes increasingly fascinating. England's Lost Houses is essential reading for all those seeking to understand what really happened.

England's Lost Houses: From the Archives of Country Life

Photography & Video

Aurum Press

Of all the photographs in Country Life magazine’s extensive archive, none are more poignant or intriguing than the images of houses that have been lost. In many cases, these pictures are also the only surviving records of important houses and interiors that were destroyed. For the first time, these images have been collected in one volume, providing a powerful impression of the richness and variety of the English country house and of the treasures that were lost through demolition or fire during the 20th century. The range of buildings is surprisingly widefrom the Rococo Nuthall Temple, Nottinghamshire, and the Classical serenity of Stoke Edith, Herefordshire to the richly furnished interiors of Highcliffe Castle, Hampshire, and one of the great masterpieces of 17th-century architecture: Coleshill, Berkshire. Giles Worsley’s illuminating text places the demolition of country houses in its historical context, revealing why so many were destroyed in the last century.

Aurum Pr Ltd