The Empress & The Architect: British Architecture and Gardens at the Court of Catherine the Great

New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996. Hardcover. VG/VG- light soiling to dj, as well as light corner and edge wear.. Burgundy boards with gilt spine lettering. Glossy color-illustrated dust jacket with cream lettering. vii, 273 pp. Color and BW illustrations. "In August 1779, Charles Cameron, a Scottish architect based in London, set sail for St. Petersburg. He had been summoned by Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, to create a magnificent architectural setting for the splendours and extravagances of her court - most especially the two luxurious palace ensembles outside St. Petersburg at Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk. His reputation prior to his arrival in Russia was based almost entirely on his authorship of a book on the baths of ancient Rome - he had built nothing as yet - but while serving as Architect to Her Imperial Majesty, Cameron was responsible for some of the most dazzling and original architectural creations of the eighteenth century. This book tells a fascinating story of enterprise, initiative, amazing patronage and very remarkable architectural achievements on a large scale, all of which took place within a unique historical and cultural context." -Jacket.