The Great Exhibition in art : picturing the first world's fair, 1851 / Julius Bryant.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bryant, Julius, author.

Contributor:

Hunt, Tristram, 1974- writer of foreword.

Series:

Victoria and Albert Museum's nineteenth-century series

V&A 19th-century series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Exhibition (1851 : London, England).

Great Exhibition.

Exhibitions--In art.

Exhibitions.

Exhibitions--History.

Art, British.

Physical Description:

159 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), facsimiles, plans ; 28 cm.

Place of Publication:

[London] : Lund Humphries, in association with V&A Publishing, [2025]

Summary:

"The Great Exhibition of 1851, the first World's Fair, is generally thought of as a giant trade fair, a showcase for empires and industries. However, it was also conceived to address a deep-rooted problem with British taste, which favoured European art and design over British. Julius Bryant's richly illustrated new book, which draws on the vast visual resources of the V&A's collections, establishes the centrality of works of fine art amongst objects on show at the Great Exhibition. It also highlights the ways in which contemporary artists were commissioned to depict and record the Exhibition's building and displays in commemorative publications" -- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Foreword

Introduction: Picturing the unpaintable

Part I: Creating the Great Exhibition

Global ambitions

A 'Crystal Palace'

From raw materials to fine art

Part II: Experiencing the Great Exhibition

Royal performances

Finding the 'lions'

Part III: Publishing the Great Exhibition

Illustrating the World's Fair

Prince Albert and Comprehensive Pictures

Conclusion: Lessons and legacies

Notes

Primary sources

Further reading

Acknowledgments

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (page 153) and index.

"The Great Exhibition of 1851, the first World's Fair, is generally thought of as a giant trade fair, a showcase for empires and industries. However, it was also conceived to address a deep-rooted problem with British taste, which favoured European art and design over British. Julius Bryant's richly illustrated new book, which draws on the vast visual resources of the V&A's collections, establishes the centrality of works of fine art amongst objects on show at the Great Exhibition. It also highlights the ways in which contemporary artists were commissioned to depict and record the Exhibition's building and displays in commemorative publications" -- dust jacket.

ISBN:

1848227132

9781848227132

OCLC:

1510252955

Publisher Number:

CIPO000297152