John Soane: An Accidental Romantic [Hardcover]

Gillian Darley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 1999

John Soane (1753-1837), one of the most influential and original of all English architects, created dramatic and unpredictable buildings that continue to inspire architects all over the world. This lavishly illustrated biography tells the story of the self-made, irascible architect's turbulent life and the remarkable buildings he designed, including the Bank of England, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, and an array of other private and public commissions.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sir John Soane (1753-1837) was one of the most influential, if eccentric, English architects. Most of his designs were so radical for their time that they were never built--just as well, some critics say. But in this ambitiously produced but disappointingly illustrated biography (most of the reproductions are in black-and-white), Gillian Darley champions this son of a bricklayer. Soane was a self-made man who tended to be egotistic and quarrelsome; he displayed sufficient dilettantish genius to discredit him in the eyes of his peers. Despite that, by 1800 he was rich and successful--the personal architect to two prime ministers. He designed the Bank of England, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, and Westminster's Law Courts, as well as Britain's beloved red telephone box. His unprecedented use of neoclassical elements and eclectic styles gave Londoners a chance to marvel at theatrical effects and spatial trickery. Soane's greatest achievement, though, remains his home in Lincoln's Inn Fields, which he bequeathed to the nation upon his death. The Soane Museum is as complex and intriguing as the man himself. If not for Darley's diligent research and sensitivity, readers wouldn't know quite how troubled the man was behind this glorious facade. --Lilian Pizzichini, Amazon.co.uk

Review

It is one of the great accomplishments of Gillian Darley's new biography that the full scope of Soane's life and works can be seen in exquisite detail, thus allowing a fresh perspective on this vexing figure and his ethereal aesthetic objectives. . . . Darley is sensitive to the psychological dimension of Soane's work, and . . . her extremely thorough research and critical sympathy enable one to come away with both greater respect for his achievement - and greater curiosity. . . . From cultivating potential clients while still on a grand tour to hosting London's political and cultural elites, Soane's life, his intensity, and his focus are captured admirably. -- J. Duncan Berry, New Criterion

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; First. edition (September 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300081650
• ISBN-13: 978-0300081657
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,199,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Insights into architectural practice in another era, August 6, 2000

By 

Tim Busse (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Soane: An Accidental Romantic (Hardcover)

This book is an outstanding introduction to the life & amazing works of John Soane.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Biography and NOT architectural monograph, May 19, 2008

By 

Eugene Tenenbaum "reluctant reader" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John Soane: An Accidental Romantic (Paperback)

1st paperback edition, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1999, soft cover, 358 pages, 2.73 lbs, over 7¾" - 9¾" tall, lavishly illustrated biography filled with 219 illustrations: images, photographs, paintings in color and grayscale; index; bibliography & notes. It is not an architectural monograph, though the author "concentrates on putting the background to his buildings in focus".