This is an illustrated guide to the architecture of the British Isles during the reign of the first four Georges (1714-1830). To many people the term "Georgian" suggests a dignified, often symmetrical facade of brick, with elegant sash-windows, a doorcase (usually with a fanlight) and a well-mannered and reticent appearance. However, there was far more to the Georgian period than that, and the book sets out to show the remarkable diversity of architecture created during the era, from the grander classicism influenced by the architecture of Italy, notably that of Palladio, to the exotic tastes for chinoiserie, rococo, Gothic and even Indian styles. The author discusses all these aspects and also sets the scene in respect of notions concerned with the beautiful, the picturesque and the sublime, drawing attention especially to the importance of the picturesque.

About the Author

Professor Emeritus James Stevens Curl has held Chairs in Architectural History at two Universities. He is currently Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Art, Design, and the Built Environment, University of Ulster. He is a prolific author and has established an international reputation for scholarship, lucidity of style, and thorough investigations in little-known fields of research.

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