About the Book:

Vanbrugh was, by the standards of architects of the time, a worldly figure, friend and ally of the great, with a strong sense of the imaginative characteristics of architecture, its power of evocation, and the emotional impact of a building’s massing, particularly when compared to the more disciplined and scholarly work of his contemporaries Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor.

This illustrated biography of the architect and designer of Castle Howard and Blenheim Palace focuses on him as a figure of greater individuality and personality than his contemporaries. It looks at his belief in a building's emotional power, as well as his other life as an 18th century theatremaker — and draws on close study of Vanbrugh's letters to bring to life his ideas, beliefs, friendships and buildings, as well as providing insight into his professional practice and working relationships. 

About the Author:

Charles Saumarez Smith is a freelance writer, curator and architectural historian.

He is an author of books and articles, a lecturer, and former academic, has been chairman of The Royal Drawing School, and is currently a trustee of the Garden Museum and the Castle Howard Foundation. He is an Emeritus Trustee of ArtUK and Charleston, an Honorary Fellow of Christ’s College, Cambridge and an Honorary Professor in the School of History at Queen Mary University of London.