Dreams, Waking Thoughts, and Incidents by William Beckford
Having studied under Sir William Chambers and Alexander Cozens, the author, William Thomas Beckford travelled to Italy in 1782 and promptly wrote a book on the subject: Dreams, Waking Thoughts, and Incidents; in a Series of Letters from Various Parts of Europe (1783). Shortly afterwards came his best-known work, the Gothic novel The History of the Caliph Vathek (1786), written originally in French and, as he was accustomed to boast, at a single sitting of three days and two nights. There is reason, however, to believe that this was a flight of imagination. It is an impressive work, full of fantastic and magnificent conceptions, rising occasionally to sublimity. He was an English novelist, art critic, travel writer and politician.William Beckford (1760-1844) was an English novelist, art collector, slaveowner, and politician. Born in London, he inherited a massive fortune from his father, a former Lord Mayor of London, as well as an estate in Wiltshire and sugar plantations in Jamaica with around 3,000 African slaves. He lived in ease and luxury, studying music with Mozart and drawing with Alexander Cozens while leading a semi-open bisexual lifestyle. Inspired by a Grand Tour of Europe, Beckford published a travel narrative, Dreams, Waking Thoughts and Incidents (1783). Several years later, he wrote Vathek (1786), a popular Gothic novel originally drafted in French. He earned a reputation as an obsessive art collector and eccentric builder, burning through his fortune at an alarming rate. Throughout his life, he owned and sold original works by Turner, Blake, Velü¾Œ–”¼zquez, Lippi, and the Bellini family.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9783849172800 |
| ISBN 10 | 3849172805 |
| Title | Dreams, Waking Thoughts, and Incidents |
| Author | William Beckford |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Tredition Classics |
| Year published | 2012-12-02 |
| Number of pages | 242 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |