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John-Paul Stonard

Chatsworth, Arcadia, Now: Seven Scenes from the Life of a House Hardcover – 25 March 2022

by Duke and Duchess of Devonshire (Author), Paul Stonard (Author)

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A strikingly modern portrait of Chatsworth, the grandest of English country houses

No house embodies the spirit of one dynasty better than Chatsworth. Set in an unspoilt Derbyshire valley, surrounded by wild moorland, and home to the Cavendish family for sixteen generations, this treasure house is filled with works of art and objects - from Nicolas Poussin's The Arcadian Shepherds and Antonio Canova's Endymion to great contemporary paintings by Lucian Freud and David Hockney - which have all, in their time, represented the very best of the new. As Stoker Cavendish, the twelfth Duke of Devonshire, likes to point out- 'Everything was new once.'

Following the completion of a decade-long programme of renovations, the exterior of Chatsworth is gleaming, its stone fa ade newly cleaned and its window frames freshly gilded. Inside, through the inspired juxtaposition of old and modern, its rooms fizz with creative energy. Chatsworth, Arcadia, Now tells the story of this extraordinary place through seven scenes from its life, alongside a stunning photographic portrait of the house and its collections, captured at a moment of high optimism in its long history.

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Particular Books
Publication date

25 March 2022
Dimensions

20.3 x 3.7 x 30.9 cm
ISBN-10

024146191X
ISBN-13

978-0241461914
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Product description

Review

Chatsworth, Arcadia, Now is about the most sumptuous book I've seen in a third of a century of book reviewing. It charts the story of sixteen generations of Cavendishes' involvement with one of the two or three grandest and most beautiful houses in Britain -- Andrew Roberts, author of GEORGE III

Just about the most mouthwatering book produced this century... Gardens, landscapes, libraries, wild flower meadows, works of art, architecture... Bliss! -- Alan Titchmarsh MBE

This glamorous, artistic book is a fitting tribute to a decade of renovation... One could say that the book is a collection piece in its own right... Breathtaking still-life studies underline the connections and contrasts between old and new... The sense of a great house with a vibrant past, present and a future is palpable -- Jeremy Musson ― Country Life

Anyone who cannot visit in person can now luxuriate in this astonishing book, with its brilliant photographs fabulously staged and daringly laid out... as glorious as the house itself -- Clive Aslet ― House & Garden

Book Description

A strikingly modern portrait of Chatsworth, the grandest of English country houses

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Particular Books; 1st edition (25 March 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 024146191X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241461914
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 20.3 x 3.7 x 30.9 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 78,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 22 in Permanent Art Collections
- 23 in Antique & Collectible Art (Books)
- 32 in House & Hotel Photography

Customer Reviews:
24 ratings

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About the author

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John-Paul Stonard

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J-P Stonard is an author and art historian. His book 'Creation. Art Since the Beginning' was published by Bloomsbury in 2021, and has been hailed as the successor to Ernst Gombrich's fabled 'The Story of Art'.

Also published in 2021, J-P Stonard's book 'Chatsworth, Arcadia, Now', tells the story of the great collection of art at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire. His previous books include 'Germany Divided: Baselitz and his Generation', which accompanied an exhibition at the British Museum, London; and, as editor and contributor, 'The Books that Shaped Art History'. In 2014 he co-curated the exhibition 'Kenneth Clark: Looking for Civilisation', at Tate Britain, London.

His writing has also appeared in The London Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, the Financial Times, the Guardian, the Burlington Magazine and Apollo.

J-P Stonard lives and works in Suffolk.

Photo: Xanthe Stonard 2021.

Customer reviews

5 star		52%
4 star		21%
3 star		17%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		10%

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AmaryR

Simply stunning!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 October 2021

Verified Purchase

The most wonderful book. Even a cursory glance through its pages evokes the spirit of the house and the people, owners, artists and crafts people of all trades, who contributed and continue to contribute to this warm and welcoming house.

More in depth reading and one can imagine you are there, exploring one of England’s most beautiful houses in an intimate way that is not usually possible. Both students of history and art and those who simply enjoy visiting such treasure houses will find more than enough to excite them. The wealth of photographs and fascinating stories is extraordinary - far more than similar books of this type. I can hardly wait to visit Chatsworth again after reading this book.

5 people found this helpful

brian marlow

Chatsworth :a lesson in marketing.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 October 2021

Verified Purchase

well the books presentation is v well done.it promises much but does not quite deliver.The dreamy sometimes misty photos of the house convey a romantic idealised utopia.It conveys well enough the significance and quality of the objects it highlights and on display but inevitably some will appeal to the reader more than others.It is glossy but so much is left out, inevitable i suppose in a house so full of riches There is another side to this family and their possessions which is not appealing.But Chatsworth is a charity and this book is a sales aid to get people to visit.And that it does well.Very well.

5 people found this helpful

Janice Davis

Beautiful book !

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 April 2022

Verified Purchase

Wanted this book because I had see it advertised in house and garden magazine, was not disappointed, it’s a beautiful, glossy, coffee table book with lovely pictures, great to look at and also to give decorative design ideas , so impressed with it that it has inspired me to go for a visit to the actual chats worth house .

Alexandra H.

Stunning book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2022

Verified Purchase

What a brilliant book. The most divine, stunning and original presentation of Chatsworth I’ve ever seen. The photography is beyond what I have ever seen for a book like this and perfectly captures Chatsworth and it’s artworks. I love Chatsworth, as you can probably tell, and thought the words guide you brilliantly with the imagery. Have bought for several friends as gifts x

MR R MOSLEY

Beautiful book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 January 2022

Verified Purchase

Bought it for my Mum and she LOVES it.
Beautifully produced with some outstanding photos and informative text.

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Chatsworth, Arcadia, Now: Seven Scenes from the Life of a House Hardcover – 25 March 2022

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