Output details

Empire without End: antiquities collections in Renaissance Rome, c. 1350-1527

Empire without End is the first book to investigate in detail the invention of antiquities collecting in Renaissance Rome. It tackles the complexities of how antique sculptures went from pagan idols to be smashed or re-used as building materials to 'works of art' housed in private collections. It offers a multifaceted interpretation of the beginnings of excavation, display and viewership, bringing together histories of architecture, garden design, social history, poetry, and archaeology. It is the first study to bridge the gap that had long divided scholarship on the visual and literary response to collecting, foregrounding the importance of poetry in the origins and development of private collecting.Research for the book was backed by major grants from Dumbarton Oaks and the Getty Foundation as well as publication subsidies from the University of Pittsburgh and the Villa I Tatti. Since its publication Empire without End has been reviewed in over 10 international journals. It was recognised by one reviewer for its 'stunningly sophisticated level of erudition, sharp critical judgment, and an unerring eye for the telling detail'. It was honoured by the Society of Architectural Historians with the 2012 Elisabeth Blair MacDougall Book Award for research in the history of landscape architecture or garden design. The book presents a detailed re-evaluation of written descriptions, sketches, and archival documents relevant to the topic of collecting in Renaissance Rome. Weaving together strands of research which were previously unexplored or considered in isolation, the book presents a full overview of the artistic, literary, and social context of antiquities collecting. It also includes a complete catalogue of the most important collections in Renaissance Rome. Each entry in the catalogue draws upon all available evidence, including newly discovered sources, to reconstruct how Roman families acquired and displayed archaeological objects.

This book represents a 10-year research project funded by major international grants. Research involved time-consuming visits to many archives and the wide range of literary, visual and archival sources were consulted in libraries and archives in the UK, USA, Germany, France, and Italy. The first half focuses on thematic topics; the second painstakingly reconstructs dozens of antiquities collections which no longer survive, many of which were poorly understood. Extensive time and research was required to transcribe original documents, provide new translations of sources in Italian and Latin, and over 250 illustrations gathered from museums and photo archives around the world.