British Baroque: power and illusion

Abstract

"This exhibition catalogue presents a fresh and visually breath-taking new look at the art of the late Stuart period in Britain (1660-1714). From the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 to the death of Queen Anne in 1714, the late Stuart period was a time of great change for Britain, and a rich, sophisticated, but largely overlooked era of art history. This exhibition book, created to accompany Tate Britain's 2020 exhibition British Baroque: Power & Illusion, explores how art and architecture were used by the crown, the church, and the aristocracy to project images of status in an age when the power of the monarchy was being questioned. Featuring the work of the leading painters of the day -- including Peter Lely, Godfrey Kneller, and James Thornhill -- it celebrates ambitious grand-scale portraits, the persuasive illusion of mural painting, the brilliant woodcarving of Grinling Gibbons, and the magnificent architecture of the great buildings of the age by Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, and John Vanbrugh."--Publisher's description.

Contents

Introduction / Tabitha Barber -- Restoration / Tabitha Barber -- The Restoration court / David A.H.B. Taylor -- The religious interior / Tabitha Barber -- Illusion and deception / Tim Batchelor -- Wren and the English Baroque / Anthony Geraghty -- Country mansions and their patrons / James Legard -- Landscapes: the bird's-eye view / Amy Lim -- Courtly gardens / Amy Lim -- The Duchess of Beaufort's rare exotics / Tabitha Barber -- Painted interiors / Lydia Hamlet -- Beauty / Tabitha Barber -- Porcelain and lacquer / Amy Lim -- Triumph and glory / Tabitha Barber and TimBatchelor -- The age of politics / Tabitha Barber.