John Soane: An Accidental Romantic

New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1999. Hardcover. Good+/Good (several small stains to text block. Boards bumped mainly at corners and edges. pages are otherwise clear. Dust jacket has overall wear and small tears). Burgundy cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, black DJ with color illustrations, color illustrated end pages. X, 358 pp. 219 illustrations, mostly BW. "Sir John Soane (1753-1837) was one of the most influential and original of all English architects. In this illustrated biography, Gillian Darley places Soane's life and buildings side by side, and her insights into this complex man and his turbulent life add a great deal to our understanding of his extraordinary work." "Born the son of a bricklayer, Soane was a self-made man, egotistic, irascible, with encyclopaedic interests. He built himself a remarkable town house that he filled with treasures and left in trust to the nation. By 1800 he was rich and successful, designing both private houses for powerful clients and public works, Consummate at securing patronage, he was the personal architect to two prime ministers. He was architect to the Bank of England, to Chelsea Hospital and to the United Grand Lodge of Freemasons. He designed Dulwich Picture Gallery - the first purpose-built art gallery in Britain." "Soane made unprecedented use of neoclassical elements to provide theatrical and unexpected conjunctions and remarkable spatial effects. His dramatic and unpredictable buildings have increasingly proved an inspiration to architects of many schools."--Jacket.