Regency excesses spared no cost

摘要

The Regency rich could be vulgar, but there were a number of designers of furniture and objects who tempered the excesses and made the period (1795-1830) among the most successful in contributing to the Britain's standing in the art world. Despite the waging of a costly war against France (and sometimes Spain), the wealth of the richest families burgeoned. This patronage served to promote the best that artisans could produce: there was no skimping on materials nor cost-induced concessions to design, except when it was literally beyond the abilities of the cabinet maker, silversmith or potter to achieve. The porcelain factories shunned the mundane, employed the finest painters and gilders they could afford and charged accordingly.