The villas of the ancients illustrated. / By Robert Castell..

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Castell, Robert.

Contributor:

Raley, Robert L., former owner.

Tuckey, P., artist.

Wilson, T., artist.

Fourdrinier, Paul, 1698-1758, engraver.

King, George, fl. 1732-1740, engraver.

British Imprints Collection (Athenaeum of Philadelphia)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Country homes--Rome--Early works to 1800.

Country homes.

Gardens, Roman--Early works to 1800.

Gardens, Roman.

Gardens--England--Early works to 1800.

Gardens.

Architecture, Domestic--Italy.

Architecture, Domestic.

Architecture, Domestic--Rome.

Architecture, Roman--Early works to 1800.

Architecture, Roman.

Physical Description:

[4], 35, [1] p., [22] leaves of plates (some folded) : ill., plans ; 53 cm. (fol.)

Place of Publication:

London: : Printed for the author., MDCCXXVII. [1728]

Notes:

English text printed in double columns.

Dedication to Richard Earl of Burlington on p. [3].

Index: p. [1] at end.

Consists of 3 parts, part I (p. 1-14) includes a translation of Pliny's description of his villa at Laurentinum; part II (p. 15-22) gives an account of arrangement of villas and their surroundings based on Roman authors; part III (p. 23-34) includes a discussion and translation of Pliny's villa at Tuscum.

Castell was the first to reconstruct ancient villas and gardens from descriptions left by contemporary historians, this work was particularly important in its influence on garden design and was instrumental in facilitating the transtion from formal to landscape garden. Cf. Fowler.

Work is considered the "trade edition" as it lacks the subscriber's list and contains text in English only; another edition known as the "subscriber's edition", with more extensive pagination ([8], 128, [2] p.) was also issued in 1728; it contains parallel text in English and Latin along with a subscriber's list.

"Unlike the archaeological researches carried out by later generations, Castell's approach was literary: he analyzed texts describing Pliny's two villas, and brought in relevant material from Varro, Columella, Cato, Vitruvius and Palladius. His analysis and reconstructions of Roman villas were inaccurate, partly as a result of his literary approach, and partly because he sought too eagerly for proportionality, regularity and symmetry, qualities more important to the eighteenth-century architects, than to the builders of Roman villas."--Archer, p. 250.

Archer notes that in spite of Castell's "literary approach" to his subject, his research was signficant for 18th century domestic architecture because it established fundamental characteristics of villa design and function.

Head and tail pieces; initials; engraved vignettes.

Some plates are on double leaves.

[13] plates on 22 leaves (some folded) include plans, elevations and conjectural reproductions of villas of the estates of Laurentinum and Tuscum; plates drawn by T. Wilson and P. Tuckey and engraved by P. Fourdrinier; head and tail pieces and vignettes engraved by G. King (Cf. Harris)

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Bound in full leather; marbled endpapers; gilt stamp and gilt borders on covers; gilt tooling on spine and gilt edges.

Athenaeum copy: IMPERFECT: Covers detached; tied; pages warped; mold patches on many leaves throughout; tied.

Athenaeum copy: Binder's title: Castell's Villas of the ancients.

Athenaeum copy: Gift of Robert L. Raley/Carpenters' Company Collection.

Athenaeum also has copy of "subscriber's edition" with parallel Latin and English text and a subscriber's list.

Cited in:

ESTC(RLIN), N048775

Harris, E. Brit. architectural books and writers, 110

Archer, J. Literature of Brit. domestic architecture, 36.2

Fowler, 81

Park, Helen. A list of architectural books available in America before the revolution, 6