Thomas Anson of Shugborough and his world

Description

Thomas Anson (1695-1773) has been a man of mystery for 250 years. He is best known for the development of his house and garden, Shugborough, Staffordshire, with its enigmatic Shepherds Monument. Andrew Baker’s discoveries reveal him to have been an influential patron of the arts, inspiring the 18^th century Greek Revival, an extraordinarily adventurous traveller in search of ancient cultures and wisdom, a supporter of new music and a man known for “elegant badinage”. He also seems to have acted as a spy. This entertaining well-illustrated book is a window into a little known aspect of the century and a small group of friends who saw the dangers of materialism and detachment from nature fifty years before William Blake and the romantic poets.