Catalogue of Drawings for Architecture, Design and Ornament

This major addition to the Waddesdon Catalogue series introduces for the first time its corpus of over 1000 decorative drawings.

Remarkable for the sheer abundance and quality of works by virtually every French 18th-century ornementiste or architect of note (Oppenord, Meissonier, Delafosse, Pillement, Cauvet, Gillot and Berain to name but a few), the catalogue also includes key contributions from their 17th-century precursors and a significant complement of German as well as Dutch and Italian designs. 2 volumes, 1080 entries, 1100 drawings reproduced in black and white, 96 colour plates.

The catalogue has been compiled by leading scholars in the field and as a result is a major contribution to the understanding of an as yet little explored area of art history, collecting and material culture. The majority of the drawings are previously unpublished, so the collection is not as well-known as it deserves to be, although a small selection are displayed in changing exhibitions annually at the Manor.