The Private Lives of Pictures

Book excerpt: A novel art history of England told through the artworks on display in domestic space over hundreds of years. The Private Lives of Pictures offers a new history of British art, seen from the perspective of the home. Focusing on the nineteenth and early-twentieth-century, the book takes the reader on a tour of an imaginary Victorian or Edwardian house, stopping in each room to look at the pictures on the walls. Nicholas Tromans opens up the intimate history of art in everyday life as he examines a diverse array of issues, including how pictures were chosen for each room, how they were displayed, and what role they played in interior design. Superbly illustrated, The Private Lives of Pictures will appeal to readers interested in both art and social history, as well as the history of interiors.