Awards
- Commended for PROSE (Architecture) 2012
- Winner of John Brinckerhoff Jackson Book Prize 2014 (United States)
Overview
On the banks of the Potomac River, Mount Vernon stands, with its iconic portico boasting breathtaking views and with a landscape to rival the great gardens of Europe, as a monument to George Washington's artistic and creative efforts. More than one million people visit Mount Vernon each year-drawn to the stature and beauty of Washington's family estate. Art historian Joseph Manca systematically examines Mount Vernon-its stylistic, moral, and historical dimensions-offering a complete picture of this national treasure and the man behind its enduring design. Manca brings to light a Washington deeply influenced by his wide travels in colonial America, with a broader architectural knowledge than previously suspected, and with a philosophy that informed his aesthetic sensibility. Washington believed that design choices and personal character mesh to form an ethic of virtue and fulfillment and that art is inextricably linked with moral and social concerns. Manca examines how these ideas shaped the material culture of Mount Vernon. Based on careful study of Washington's personal diaries and correspondence and on the lively accounts of visitors to his estate, this richly illustrated book introduces a George Washington unfamiliar to many readers-an avid art collector, amateur architect, and leading landscape designer of his time.
Full Product Details
Author: Joseph Manca (Rice University)
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 21.60cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 25.40cm
Weight: 1.225kg
ISBN: 9781421404325
ISBN 10: 142140432
Pages: 344
Publication Date: 27 October 2012
Recommended Age: From 17
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
A comprehensive and well-illustrated history of Washington's estate. -- Jay Strafford Richmond Times-Dispatch 2012
A comprehensive and well-illustrated history of Washington's estate. -- Jay Strafford Richmond Times-Dispatch 2012 Manca convincingly argues that George Washington, the 'indispensable man,' was indispensable to American art, too. -- Bob Duggan Big Think.com 2013 George Washington's Eye not only sheds light on the first president's keen interest in architecture, landscape gardening, and art collecting but also illuminates his learning process... Those who seek to understand Washington by exploring Mount Vernon will find this book informative and fascinating. -- Stuart Leibiger Journal of American History 2013
Author Information
Joseph Manca is the Nina J. Cullinan Professor in the Department of Art History at Rice University. He is author and editor of a number of books, including The Art of Ercole de' Roberti, Titian 500, and Andrea Mantegna and the Italian Renaissance.
