John Soane: An Accidental Romantic
by Gillian Darley
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"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 show more 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. show lessTags
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Gillian Darley is a writer, broadcaster and prize-winning journalist, a former architectural correspondent of the Observer and Director of the Landscape Foundation until 1998. She is currently Chairman of the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings. Her first degree was in History of Art, her second in Politics and Administration, a show more particularly apt preparation for writing the life of John Soane, an ambition ever since her first visit to his astonishing house in Lincoln's Inn Fields as a student. show less
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