Pursuing patronage

: Contextualising published findings on selected Georgian great houses and art collections in a discussion that challenges aspects of current historiography

Abstract

The thesis reviews three main bodies of work by the author, of which there are two books, Mistress of the House: Great Ladies and Grand Houses 1670-1830 and Goodwood: Art and Architecture, Sport and Family with a related article ‘Richmond House II’; and a journal ‘Huguenots, Apothecaries, Gardeners and Squires: The Garniers of Rookesbury’ (full details in text). The prime aim is to highlight the contribution made to scholarship through originality of approach and new findings. These three bodies of work all discuss patronage of architecture and art in the period 1670-1835. The subject of the first study is the role of women as patrons of domestic architecture, mostly country houses and interiors with some town houses. The second comprises two publications, a book about the Dukes of Richmond at Goodwood in West Sussex with supporting findings about their London townhouse. The third is about another country house and family at Rookesbury in Hampshire. The patrons range from aristocratic to upper middle-class subjects, mostly in the south of England but with some mention of houses further north and in Scotland. All the work is about houses that are architecturally significant, although varying in size, and sometimes their gardens; also the commissioning of interiors and the collecting of paintings, furniture and decorative arts for them. The thesis describes the influence of each area of work on academic literature, with public impact noted in appendices. It aims to contextualise the author’s methodology, comparing it with that of other architectural and art historians, as well as with a wider range of historiographies. Offering some questioning of the prevalent emphasis on power and status as motivation, it shows that the author’s focus is on the artistic and design choices of patrons, backed by the broader social subjects of their families, alliances and interests.

Date of Award	12 Jun 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	Graciela Iglesias Rogers (Supervisor) & Katherine Weikert (Supervisor)