Architect King

by David Watkin

George III was an ambitious patron of both the sciences and the arts. In this ground-breaking new survey David Watkin looks closely at the King's contribution to the area that interested him most deeply - architectural design. George III's lifelong involvement in building and landscaping is placed in the context of his keen support for manufacturing, the scientific revolution and agricultural innovation, all of which were characteristic concerns of the Age of Improvement. Furthermore, taking into account the latest research into the role of the court in the political and cultural life of Europe before the French Revolution, Professor Watkin looks afresh at the significance of the King's position within the Holy Roman Empire.
The broad, interdisciplinary approach of Professor Watkin's wide-ranging text suggests new lines of enquiry for historians of architecture and art and offers valuable insights for student of landscape design, court studies and political history.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

David John Watkin, MA PhD LittD Hon FRIBA FSA (born 1941) is a British architectural historian. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and Professor Emeritus of History of Architecture in the Department of History of Art at the University of Cambridge. He has also taught at the Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture.[1]
David Watkin is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He is Vice-Chairman of the Georgian Group, and was a member of the Historic Buildings Council and its successor bodies in English Heritage from 1980-1995.