James "Athenian" Stuart, 1713–1788

Short-listed for the 2007 William M. B. Berger Prize for British Art History sponsored by the Berger Collection Educational Trust and The British Art Journal.

The creation of the “Greek style” and its pervasive impact in England and on the Continent during the third quarter of the eighteenth century was largely due to James Stuart’s landmark multi-volume publication Antiquities of Athens, coauthored with Nicholas Revett. Stuart, subsequently known as “Athenian” Stuart, went on to a highly influential career that spanned the fields of architecture, interior decoration, furnishings, sculpture, and metalwork. This lavishly illustrated book is the first to examine Stuart’s multi-dimensional career and the full scope of his contributions as designer, artist, and tastemaker.

An international team of scholars consider each area of Stuart’s work, his early training, interest in archaeology, unique network of patrons, poor record for completing projects, and legacy. With illustrations and discussion of the stunning neo-classical furnishings he created at Spencer House, the Greek Doric Temple at Hagley, and numerous other remarkable projects, the book brings Stuart’s achievements to light more clearly than ever before.

Susan Weber is founder and director of the Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture. She is coauthor of Thomas Jeckyll: Architect and Designer, 1827-1881 and coeditor of Castellani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry, both published by Yale University Press.

Table of Contents

Preface
Barry Bergdoll

Introduction
Susan Weber Soros

Chapter 1: Stuart and Revett: The Myth of Greece and Its Afterlife
David Watkin

Chapter 2: The Life of James “Athenian” Stuart, 1713-1788
Catherine Arbuthnott

Chapter 3: Stuart as Antiquary and Archaeologist in Italy and Greece
Frank Salmon

Chapter 4: The Social World of James “Athenian” Stuart
Kerry Bristol

Chapter 5: The London Houses
Richard Hewlings

Chapter 6: “The Purest Taste”- James “Athenian” Stuart’s Work in Villas and Country Houses
Julius Bryant

Chapter 7: The Garden Buildings
Alexander Marr

Chapter 8: James Stuart, the Admiralty, and the Royak Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich, 1758-88
Kerry Bristol

Chapter 9: Stuart and the Changing Relationship between Architects and Sculptors in Eighteenth-Century Britain
M.G. Sullivan

Chapter 10: James “Athenian” Stuart Furniture Design
Susan Weber Soros

Chapter 11: The Metalwork Designs of James “Athenian” Stuart
Michael Snodin

Chapter 12: Stuart and the Design and Making of Medals
Christopher Eimer

Chapter 13: Epilogue: The Impact of Stuart over Two Centuries
David Watkin

Appendix

Stuart and his Craftsmen
Geoffrey Beard

Chronology

Exhibition Checklist

Bibliography

Index

Bard Graduate Center publishes award-winning exhibition catalogues, books, and journals focusing on scholarship in the decorative arts, design history, and material culture.

Short-listed for the 2007 William M. B. Berger Prize for British Art History sponsored by the Berger Collection Educational Trust and The British Art Journal.

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