This major addition to the Waddesdon Catalogue series introduces for the first time Waddesdon's corpus of over 1000 decorative drawings. Remarkable for the sheer abundance and quality of works by virtually every French 18th-century ornemaniste or architect of note (Oppenord, Meissonnier, Delafosse, Pillemont, Cauvet, Gillot and Berain to name but a few), the catalogue also includes key contributions from their 17th-century precursors and a significant complement of Dutch and Italian designs. Some of these drawings were acquired by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, who build Waddesdon Manor and created the astonishing collection of which these drawings constitute a part. However, the majority of the decorative drawings catalogued here came to Waddesdon through inheritance from Baron Edmond de Rothschild, Ferdinand's French cousin, and another exceptional connoisseur in a family famed for its collectors.
Compiled by leading scholars in the field, this is a major contribution to the understanding of a little explored field of art history, collecting and material culture.