What do you think?
Rate this book
Joseph Gandy: An Architectural Visionary in Georgian England
The definitive biography and critical assessment of Romantic visionary Joseph Gandy by the acknowledged authority.
Joseph Gandy's life is the classic story of genius unrecognized. When he died he seemed to the world, and to himself, a failure. Having begun his career with high hopes, ideals, imagination, and talent, he ended it miserable, poor, and confined in a lunatic asylum.
That was in 1843. A century and a half later he is considered one of the most original figures of English Romanticism. In his own eyes he was an architect, fit to stand beside the great masters of Neoclassicism, but he was hopelessly impractical. Hardly any of his buildings were built, and he could realize his ambitions only graphically as the draftsman who presented Sir John Soane's monumental schemes to the public, as a gifted historical artist who could bring the great age of Gothic to life for John Britton's Architectural Antiquities , and as a visionary comparable to William Blake who could give compelling reality to ancient legend, medieval myth, and Renaissance romance. Works such as his unearthly Rosslyn Chapel or his luminous Tomb of Merlin have a hypnotic power that no other artist could surpass.
The life of Joseph Gandy is a tragic story, though a curiously inspiring one, and a significant episode in the history of Western art. 203 illustrations, 49 in color.
Joseph Gandy's life is the classic story of genius unrecognized. When he died he seemed to the world, and to himself, a failure. Having begun his career with high hopes, ideals, imagination, and talent, he ended it miserable, poor, and confined in a lunatic asylum.
That was in 1843. A century and a half later he is considered one of the most original figures of English Romanticism. In his own eyes he was an architect, fit to stand beside the great masters of Neoclassicism, but he was hopelessly impractical. Hardly any of his buildings were built, and he could realize his ambitions only graphically as the draftsman who presented Sir John Soane's monumental schemes to the public, as a gifted historical artist who could bring the great age of Gothic to life for John Britton's Architectural Antiquities , and as a visionary comparable to William Blake who could give compelling reality to ancient legend, medieval myth, and Renaissance romance. Works such as his unearthly Rosslyn Chapel or his luminous Tomb of Merlin have a hypnotic power that no other artist could surpass.
The life of Joseph Gandy is a tragic story, though a curiously inspiring one, and a significant episode in the history of Western art. 203 illustrations, 49 in color.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 29, 2006
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 10, 2016
Joseph Gandy is best known for illustrating the architectural projects of John Soane but he set out first to be an architect, then when that failed to take off to be recognised as a painter both in watercolour and oils. Few of his buildings remain - the most obvious is the 'Doric house' in Bath which unfortunately one can only see from the outside. It is strange enough to make one wonder what Gandy might have produced if he had found more sympathetic patrons. This book explains why he did not. He was awkward, demanding and had a very high opinion of himself and was not ready to compromise. The book is more of a study than a biography, very well illustrated and gives a full and interesting description of Gandy's huge output of paintings, mostly wildly romantic visions of what ancient Rome and Greece might have been like Gandy had had the building of them. Many are now lost or in private collections, so this book is the best way of making contact with a minor but very fascinating artist who has tended to be obscured by Soane, his friend and employer.
Displaying 1 of 1 review