The History of Interior Decoration

Fülszöveg

THE HISTORY OF
Interior Decoration
Charles McCorquodale
With iS; illustrations, 64 in colour ¦
This book outlines the history of interior decoration from Classical times to the present day. It guides the reader through the changing fashions and tastes of the Western world from the houses of ancient Greece and Rome, often surprisingly rich in colour with painted walls and glowing mosaics, to the Great Halls of the medieval period, now generally stark and empty but once filled with tapestries or other wall hangings and later dominated by monumental and highly decorated chimney-pieces, through the glories of the Renaissance and the excesses of the Baroque, right up to the twentieth century. Some of the schemes are among the major art works of their day, such as Mantegna's Camera degli Sposi and Pietro da Cortona's breath-taking ceilings in the Pitti Palace. Others are the work of leading architects - Bramante, Adam, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, to name but a few of the... Tovább

Fülszöveg

THE HISTORY OF
Interior Decoration
Charles McCorquodale
With iS; illustrations, 64 in colour ¦
This book outlines the history of interior decoration from Classical times to the present day. It guides the reader through the changing fashions and tastes of the Western world from the houses of ancient Greece and Rome, often surprisingly rich in colour with painted walls and glowing mosaics, to the Great Halls of the medieval period, now generally stark and empty but once filled with tapestries or other wall hangings and later dominated by monumental and highly decorated chimney-pieces, through the glories of the Renaissance and the excesses of the Baroque, right up to the twentieth century. Some of the schemes are among the major art works of their day, such as Mantegna's Camera degli Sposi and Pietro da Cortona's breath-taking ceilings in the Pitti Palace. Others are the work of leading architects - Bramante, Adam, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, to name but a few of the outstanding figures discussed in these pages.
It was perhaps the Rococo style which found its most complete expression in the art of decorating interiors. As the author points out, the work of the great furniture-makers of the period - Cressent, Gaudreaux, Dubois, Delanois - assumes its full decorative significance only in the interiors for which it was so often specifically designed. By concentrating on those parts of an interior which may be regarded as permanent fixtures this book extends our understanding of the achievements of the craftsmen of the past and provides an invaluable source of reference for the student of the decorative arts.
The distinction between architecture and decoration first emerged in the twentieth century, just when America was coming to the fore in the fields of architecture and design. Interest in interior decoration soon spread through all sectors of society and new technological developments led to experimentation in design and materials, with Italy emerging as the leading innovator.
Richly illustrated with 64 colour and 121 black and white plates, The History of Interior Decoration is both informative and stimulating. Those who wish to understand the evolution of the domestic interior will find it a fascinating and rewarding study. Vissza