Cabinets of Curiosities Hardcover by Patrick Mauries

Product Details

• Publisher: Thames and Hudson (2011-08-23)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 256 pages
• ISBN-13: 9780500515945
• Item Weight: 1764.5 grams
• Dimensions: 31.24 x 23.11 x 2.79 cm

"Bound to entertain anyone who is intellectually curious, and serve as a source of inspiration for interior decorators and contemporary artists."—Antiques and the Arts

Unicorns’ horns, mermaids’ skeletons, stuffed and preserved animals and plants, work in precious metals, clocks, scientific instruments, celestial globes . . . all knowledge, the whole cosmos arranged on shelves. Such were the cabinets of curiosities of the seventeenth century, the last period of history when man could aspire to know everything.

Who were the collectors? They were archdukes and kings—the Emperor Rudolf II was the prince of all collectors—rich merchants and scholars, and their collections ranged from a single crowded room to whole palatial suites. Patrick Maurie`s traces the amazing history of these “rooms of wonders” in this ingeniously erudite survey. Not many of the rooms survive, though there are pictorial records, but their contents still exist and are among the treasures of museums all over the world.

About the Author

Patrick Mauriès is a writer and publisher of many notable titles on fashion and design, including Goude: The Chanel Sketchbooks, Fornasetti: Designer of Dreams, and The World According to Karl.