An Illustrated History of Interior Decoration: From Pompeii to Art Nouveau

by Mario Praz

“This prize book on the subject of domestic decoration . . . enchantingly informs us about the evolution of taste and comfort.” ― Art & Auction The appeal of this extraordinary book lies in its rapt obsession with the details of the domestic interior, borne out in a wonderfully rich collection of pictures. These charming paintings and watercolors, mostly dating from 1770 to 1860 and coming from all over Europe, Russia, and America, record with faithful accuracy the shape of a room, the pattern of a carpet, the furniture, pictures, fabrics, and wall coverings, the hang of the curtains and the fall of the light they admit.

The pictures find their place in a complete survey of domestic―and some more palatial―interiors portrayed in art from the ancient world to the late nineteenth century, and including works by Vermeer, Hogarth, Durer, Degas, and Vuillard. The text goes beyond scholarly commentary to present an evolving picture of men and women in relation to domestic surroundings, full of human interest, wit, and wide-ranging cultural references.

Mario Praz (1896–1982) was Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Rome. The most celebrated of his many other books is The Romantic Agony . 400, 64 in color

Genres: Art, History

396 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Mario Praz was an Italian-born critic of art and literature, and a scholar of English literature. His best-known book, "La carne, la morte e il diavolo nella letteratura romantica" ("The Romantic Agony" 1933) - written in 1930 - was a comprehensive survey of the erotic and morbid themes that characterized European authors of the late 18th and 19th centuries. He was Professor of Italian Studies at the Victoria University of Manchester, 1932-1934. He taught English literature at the University of Rome from 1934 to his retirement in 1966. In 1962, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE).
His works of art criticism include an Illustrated History of Interior Decoration, a study on Italian sculptor Antonio Canova, and numerous essays. His last residence, an apartment in Palazzo Primoli, has become a museum, and is open for visits in Rome.

Reviews

[DoctorM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what you'd expect. This isn't a history of interior decor as much as it is a meditation on the nature of "home" expressed through decor. The introductory essay by Mario Praz is graceful and entrancing and the heart of the book. His thoughts on collectors and the idea of change in what passes for "domestic" are superb. Well worth reading.