At Stourhead in Wiltshire, the Palladian mansion contains an extraordinary Roman cabinet glittering with gilt-bronze mounts, semi-precious stones and elaborate architectural ornament. Its façade conceals over 125 more-or-less secret drawers. The cabinet was brought to Stourhead in 1740 by Henry Hoare 'the Magnificent', of the Hoare banking dynasty; he had purchased it in Rome, where it had been made for Pope Sixtus V, whose papacy, from 1585 to 1590,coincided with the Spanish Armada. The superb quality of the 'Sixtus Cabinet' became apparent during restoration in 2006–7 and this prompted an investigation into its history, resulting in this remarkably wide-ranging study of Italian and English artistry, patronage and taste.The text is lavishly illustrated with photographs of the cabinet and examples of other pieces of pietre dure inlaid furniture in English collections.

Roman Splendour, English Arcadia (National Trust Series)

Arts & Photography

Dodd, Dudley

JERVIS, Simon

History & Criticism

I.B.Tauris

Product Description 
An illustrated history of the landscape garden at Stourhead, created by generations of the Hoare banking dynasty. Cross the south lawn at Stourhead and enter the leafy embrace of the Shades. Descend through the ancient and rare trees, and as the ground falls away a great lake appears. It is punctuated with classical temples, and a great arched bridge lunges to the other side of the water. Continue on and you will find a mystical, jagged grotto; a gothic hideaway; gods, muses and saints. This is how Henry Hoare – known as Henry the Magnificent – would have approached the garden he designed with Henry Flitcroft. It truly is an English arcadia. Perhaps he imagined himself as a journeying Aeneas, or wished to recreate a Claude Lorrain landscape? This is the history of a unique landscape, created in a misty Wiltshire valley by generations of the Hoare banking family. It follows its evolution, describing how flights of folly, individual flair and tastes, combined with careful stewardship, have formed a national treasure and one of the finest examples of the English landscape garden. 
 About the Author 
Dudley Dodd had a long career with the National Trust, where he was Secretary of the Arts Panel, and has published widely on Stourhead, whose first modern guidebook he wrote in 1981, as well as guidebooks to several other National Trust houses. He is co-author of Roman Splendour, English Arcadia: The Pope's Cabinet at Stourhead.

Stourhead: Henry Hoare's Paradise Revisited

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Gardening & Landscape Design

Apollo

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Dodd, Dudley. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Dodd, Dudley