Recollections of the late William Beckford

A visit to William Beckford's house in Lansdown-crescent, Bath, begins these letters with paintings, rare books and a friendly spaniel. Henry Venn Lansdown records his introduction to the collector in 1838, then follows Beckford through rooms where portraits prompt lively judgments about art and the people represented. Mirrors, crimson curtains, marble furniture and the arrangement of pictures receive as much attention as the conversation.

The account also moves outdoors to planted grounds and a tower whose staircase, windows and distant views Lansdown describes closely. His eye for architecture gives the buildings a place within the surrounding landscape, while his comparisons draw on painting and travel. Charlotte Lansdown's introductory note explains that she preserved her father's manuscript for fifty years. Readers interested in private art collections, the design of houses and gardens, or Bath's intellectual life will find a personal record built from detailed observation.