Architecture and the Historical Imagination

'This is a magnum opus, in more than one sense of the term. An important work, the product of vast research and dedicated scholarship, Bressani's biographical study is a timely contribution not only to architectural studies but also to the field of historical culture in general. Through tracing Viollet-le-Duc's achievement in relation to the broad transition from Romanticism to Modernity, Bressani succeeds in bringing out his wider significance as an artist and thinker, and as a major figure in French Romanticism.' Stephen Bann, Bristol University, UK 'This ambitious book is unprecedented ... Not only the author but the publisher should be commended for this stimulating, illuminating study, which will become a standard work of reference.' Burlington Magazine 'Somme toute, cet ouvrage biographique et empirique retrace d'une maniere rarement approfondie, contextualisee et sourcee la vie et l'oeuvre du maitre du neogothique, l'appui d'une belle iconographie couleur pleinement au service du propos. La mise en perspective systematique avec l'histoire de l'architecture, de la societe, de la pensee contemporaine, permet de situer d'autant mieux les motivations de son appel au medievisme archeologique et la place singuliere de son anti-academisme au sein de la communaute artistique de son temps ... le lecteur anglophone de France et d'ailleurs ne pourra que s'enrichir de cette somme qui nourrit amplement l'histoire de l'architecture - et de sa pensee - au XIXe siecle.' Sehepunkte 'A thoughtful and comprehensive account ... Bressani's discussion of [the Dictionnaire Raisonne de l'Architecture]. His perceptive thoroughnes extends to a careful discussion of the technique of the engraved illustrations.' Victorian 'The product of Bressani's extraordinary specialized knowledge and deep research, [the book] makes extensive use of primary sources, including Viollet-le-Duc's correspondence, and appropriate recent secondary sources in English and French. The book provides intriguing publication histories, perceptive analysis of Viollet-le-Duc's texts and drawings, and fascinating accounts of nineteenth-century architectural debates, all of which historians will find useful.' CAA Reviews