Fabricating the Antique

A sophisticated and welcome look at British eighteenth-century antiquarianism, targeted to (art) historians but essential reading for classicists reliant on early collections and publications. . . . The book offers new paradigms for thinking about what classicism meant to its elite British consumers.--Jeffrey Collins Bryn Mawr Classical Review There is much here to interest those concerned with the art and architecture of the period, with country house interiors, the social roles of libraries, and the taste for classical sculpture. --Martin Myrone Art Newspaper This is an impeccably researched and beautifully illustrated volume, founded on a broad-ranging analysis of documents that relate to some of the most important movers and shakers of the eighteenth century. . . . Of major interest to art historians, cultural critics, and classicists alike.--Michael Squire Journal of British Studies A useful study of an important period in British art history, both from a visual and cultural perspective. . . . Fabricating the Antique shows how Britain came to assimilate antique ideas into the national psyche in a way that still resonates today.--Matt Cambridge The Art Book As her study proceeds, Dr. Coltman's arguments gather force and fluency, and her chapters come alive. . . . A worthwhile, cogently argued book that quickens the reader's responses and awakens new lines of enquiry. --Ruth Guilding Apollo