For the King's Pleasure: The Furnishing and Decoration of George IV's Apartments at Windsor Castle [Hardcover]

Hugh Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002 | ISBN-10: 0500976104 | ISBN-13: 978-0500976104 | Edition: 1

George IV (1762-1830) was a gifted royal patron whose love of fine objects and taste for the theatrical and the romantic are well documented. In this pioneering study Hugh Roberts focuses on the King's last and greatest commission: the rebuilding and refurnishing of the Private Apartments at Windsor Castle. Drawing on much previously unpublished material, including royal correspondence, original accounts, and detailed inventories, he reconstructs George IV's ambitious program. Always over budget, and never delivered swiftly enough for his liking, the project was still unfurnished when the King died in 1830. Much of the surviving furniture is still in its original setting at Windsor, and it is published here for the first time. Virtually every identified item is illustrated, and there are high-quality reproductions of the richly colored room designs and original drawings requested by the King. The furniture and fittings now form part of the Royal Collection, and they can still be seen in their superb surroundings when the Apartments are opened to the public each year. 486 color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This magnificent and meticulously researched work focuses on one of the most extensive royal commissions in British history, the royal apartments at Windsor Castle. Director of the Royal Collection and surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art since 1996, Roberts offers insight into the working relationships of architects and craftsmen with George IV and traces the renovation and decoration of each of the rooms and suites that first transformed this modest residence and former fortress into the architectural icon we know today. Lavishly illustrated with surviving drawings and sketches of rooms and furnishings prepared by architects (e.g., Jeffry Wyatville, A.C. Pugin, A.W.N. Pugin) and furniture makers (e.g., Nicholas Morel, George Seddon), the book also documents the wall hangings, curtains, and upholstery. Roberts includes information compiled from previously unpublished documents, correspondence, original accounts, and detailed inventories of furnishings. Highly recommended for collections focusing on architecture, the decorative arts, and design. Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Libs., Johnson City
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Magnificent and meticulously researched. -- Library Journal

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Royal Collection; 1 edition (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500976104
• ISBN-13: 978-0500976104
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,332,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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