The Invention of Melbourne: a Baroque Archbishop and a Gothic Architect


Book Description

The Invention of Melbourne defines the relationship between an architect of genius, William Wardell, and the first Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, James Goold, an Irishman educated in Risorgimento, Italy. Their partnership produced St Patrick's, the largest cathedral of the 19th century anywhere in the world, and some thirteen churches, decorated with hundreds of Baroque paintings. These ambitious policies coincided with the Gold Rush, which contributed financially to their success. The contribution made by Wardell and Goold to the built environment of Melbourne remains significant. Together, they actively and creatively shaped the city that became a major international metropolis.




The Invention of Melbourne


Book Description

The Invention of Melbourne defines the relationship between an architect of genius, William Wardell, and the first Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, James Goold, an Irishman educated in Risorgimento Italy. The partnership between a colonial architect and a baroque bishop produced St Patrick’s, the largest (and arguably the most beautiful) cathedral of the nineteenth century anywhere in the world, some thirteen churches, decorated with hundreds of Baroque paintings, imported into Australia in the 1850s to excite devotion among Catholics. These ambitious policies coincided with the Gold Rush, which contributed financially to their success. The contribution made by Wardell and Goold to the built environment of Melbourne remains significant within our city.The essays in this volume radically reassess Goold, who until now has been either dismissed as a stern, aloof Irish cleric, or viewed more favourably for his achievements as a champion of Catholic education. Similarly, Wardell’s legacy to Melbourne has been forgotten despite the conspicuous presence of Government House and the Gothic Bank, for many Melburnians their most favourite building. Together, they actively and creatively shaped the city that became a major international metropolis.




The Architecture of Devotion


Book Description

The Architecture of Devotion: James Goold and His Legacies in Colonial Melbourne honours the life and cultural contribution of Archbishop James Alipius Goold (1812–1886). Goold arrived in 1848 as the first Catholic bishop of the newly created diocese of Melbourne and quickly adapted to Australian colonial conditions, setting about establishing an extraordinary network of schools, churches and welfare institutions across Victoria. Beyond the immediate task of building bluestone, bricks and mortar, Goold carried a grand vision, sensing that Melbourne was on its way to becoming a grand international metropolis. A collector and man of refined taste, Goold not only adorned religious institutions with quality Baroque artwork, but he also amassed a unique book collection and private library that showcased his European cultural sensibilities. A companion to The Invention of Melbourne: A Baroque Archbishop and a Gothic Architect (2019), The Architecture of Devotion brings Goold to life as we follow him around the colony and witness how he shaped the fabric of Victorian suburbs and towns. These volumes have been supported by the Australian Research Council, which has recognised them as among the best research projects in Australia.The Invention of Melbourne was commended in the Victorian Community History Award ‘History Publication Award’, 2020.




The Aesthetics of Marble


Book Description

"Marble is a metamorphic stone that has been a material of choice and a subject of reflection for millennia. Its geology, history, and economics are well known, but its aesthetics remain understudied. This book sheds new light on the celebration and uses of marble in art and literature and on the iconic potential of the stone. Through empirical research centered on the Mediterranean from Late Antiquity to the present, it closely examines the artistic versatility of marble in its uses and re-uses, including the marble cladding of architecture, the carving of marble and painting on stone, their political and philosophical connotations, and the de- and re-materializing of marble made possible by digital technology"--




European Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art


Book Description

This beautifully produced volume is the first to survey the Metropolitan Museum's world-renowned collection of European furniture. One hundred and three superb examples from the Museum's vast holdings are featured. They originated in workshops in England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Russia, or Spain and date from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century. A number of them belonged to such important historical figures as Pope Urban VIII, Louis XIV, Madame de Pompadour, and Napoleon. The selection includes chairs, tables, beds, cabinets, commodes, settees and sofas, bookcases and standing shelves, desks, fire screens, athéniennes, coffers, chests, mirrors and frames, showcases, and lighting equipment. There is also one purely decorative piece, a superb vase made for a Russian noble family who, according to one awestruck viewer, "owned all the malachite mines in the world." The makers of some of the objects are unknown, but most of the pieces can be identified by label, documentation, or style as the work of an outstanding European designer-craftsman, such as André-Charles Boulle, Thomas Chippendale, David Roentgen, or Karl Friedrich Schinkel.




Dan England and the Noonday Devil


Book Description

A joyous gent who sings of the glory of the true realities of life, Dan England chose “talking” as his vocation in life. This he did, joyously and beautifully. He talked to the poets without dreams, actors who couldn’t act, and writers who couldn’t write who came to his house for an evening to listen and stayed on for months...years. Not a few found new hope as they heard him capture the poetry of living in his talk of saints, and in stories about his greatness of God’s gifts (among which was the wine that gave added sparkle to his words). There was Briggs, the religion editor without religion to become a fearless “defender of the faith” under Dan’s influence. And Tim, the janitor who “exposed” the corruption of the Match Industry when in an idle hour’s count of a box of matches he found “four” missing. For the glorious length of a Dan England discourse the retiring little janitor became a tiger for reform. This is the latest troubadour of life-beautiful to come from the pen of the author of the classic Mr. Blue.




Exhibiting War


Book Description

A comparative study of how museum exhibitions in Britain, Canada and Australia were used to depict the First World War.




Architectural Conservation in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands


Book Description

The fourth in a series that documents architectural conservation in different parts of the world, Architectural Conservation in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands: National Experiences and Practice addresses cultural heritage protection in a region which comprises one third of the Earth’s surface. In response to local needs, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands have developed some of the most important and influential techniques, legislation, doctrine and theories in cultural heritage management in the world. The evolution of the heritage protection ethos and contemporary architectural conservation practices in Australia and Oceania are discussed on a national and regional basis using ample illustrations and examples. Accomplishments in architectural conservation are discussed in their national and international contexts, with an emphasis on original developments (solutions) and contributions made to the overall field. Enriched with essays contributed from fifty-nine specialists and thought leaders in the field, this book contains an extraordinary breadth and depth of research and synthesis on the why’s and how’s of cultural heritage conservation. Its holistic approach provides an essential resource and reference for students, academics, researchers, policy makers, practitioners and all who are interested in conserving the built environment.




Ireland's Empire


Book Description

Examines the complex relationship between Roman Catholicism and the global Irish diaspora in the nineteenth century for the first time.







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