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William Beckford

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
William Beckford 1760-1844, English author. A wealthy dilettante, Beckford had a great desire to ascend to the nobility. Unfortunately his erratic and strange behavior often worked against his ambitions. About 1796 he built in Wiltshire an extravagant Gothic castle, Fonthill Abbey, where he lived in mysterious seclusion and earned himself the reputation of an eccentric. Although not deeply interested in politics, he served in the House of Commons from 1784 to 1794 and from 1806 to 1820. Beckford is chiefly remembered today for the Gothic romance Vathek, a bizarre tale about the adventures... Read more
Beckford, William
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists Beckford, William (1760–1844). English collector...1826, when his fortunes had declined, Beckford built Lansdown Tower, Bath, a lesser but...folly that is now a museum devoted to him. Beckford's most famous literary work is the fantastic... Read more
Beckford, William
The Oxford Dictionary of Art Beckford, William ( b London, 29 Sept. 1760; d Bath, 2 May...In 1826 when his fortunes had declined Beckford built Lansdowne Tower, Bath, a lesser...classical folly that now enlivens a cemetery. Beckford's most famous literary work was the fantastic... Read more

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Boys, buildings and Beckford; William Beckford. By Timothy Mowl (John Murray, pounds 22). Reviewed by Richard Edmonds.
Newspaper article from: The Birmingham Post (England); 7/4/1998; 700+ words ; If William Beckford had not existed, he would...Intelligencer. The object of Beckford's attentions was 11-year-old William Courtenay, whose father...son and the 19-year-old Beckford is debatable, although William Courtenay (known as Kitty... Read more
Tall towers and taller tales William Beckford was a bisexual 18th- century aristocrat who adored boys, buildings and art. As his remarkable collection goes on show, Judith Flanders sifts fact from fantasy
Newspaper article from: The Sunday Telegraph London; 1/27/2002; ; 700+ words ; ...an exhibition than William Beckford? In his day, Beckford...walk-on parts in the Beckford story are played by stars: his godfather was William Pitt the Elder, as...as well as passion. William Beckford: An Eye for the Magnificent... Read more
Scandalous Obsession With Beauty; William Beckford Was Rich, Notorious -- and A Prodigious Collector
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 10/27/2001; ; 700+ words ; William Beckford was as scandalous a figure...traveling the same route. Beckford became a member of Parliament...when scandal erupted over Beckford's homosexual relationship...marriage and two daughters, Beckford was ostracized from English...life make their way into "William ... Read more
A life as a Gothic fantasy Wednesday Book;WILLIAM BECKFORD: COMPOSING FOR MOZART BY TIMOTHY MOWL, JOHN MURRAY, pounds 22
Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 6/24/1998; ; 673 words ; WILLIAM BECKFORD (1760-1844) is an important...he had sold it. What makes Beckford a seminal pre-Romantic figure...service here, explaining that Beckford rewrote his own history so...to sort fact from fiction. Beckford had good reason to doctor...with an 11-year-old boy, William ... Read more
The Arts: The gothic chief of patapoufs His passion for a young boy ruined him socially, yet the sinister William Beckford was a supreme art connoisseur. Kenneth Powell examines his life
Newspaper article from: The Sunday Telegraph London; 1/11/1998; ; 700+ words ; ...worldlings around," declared William Beckford. "In spite of them, I will...over. Not surprisingly, Beckford's achievements as collector...alternatively, as a gay icon. Beckford was born into serious wealth...of his mother, the young Beckford turned to art, travel and...rebuffing her in ... Read more
Back home at last after a 150-year absence... ; An ornate 19th- century cabinet, designed by the novelist, politician and art critic William Beckford, is back in its rightful place in Bath after 150 years.
Newspaper article from: Western Daily Press (Bristol UK); 4/26/2008; ; 436 words ; ...novelist, politician and art critic William Beckford, is back in its rightful place...prints and objects illustrating William Beckford's life as a writer, collector...perfectly reflects the tastes of William Beckford, can now return to the house... Read more
Arts: Outrageous fortune Writer, composer, prolific art-collector and paedophile - William Beckford was quite a character. At an exhibition of his extraordinary collection of artefacts, John Walsh marvels at the most talked about man of his time
Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 2/23/2002; ; 700+ words ; William Beckford occupies an odd niche in...Gallery, where the exhibition, William Beckford 1760-1844: An Eye for the...of the Earl of Abercorn). Beckford's father, a ruthless and...London and died suddenly when William was only nine. The child... Read more
Travel etc: In search of... William Beckford in Sintra The high priest of the Gothic novel fled to Portugal following an 18th-century sex scandal. Good move, says Matthew Hancock
Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 3/17/2002; ; 700+ words ; I've heard of Beckham, but Beckford? Get your head out of the sports pages. William Beckford (1759- 1844) was a dilettante...here? You can still visit Beckford's former property, Montserrate...living landscape painting. Beckford wanted to create the ultimate...Lawrence Hotel in Sintra has a ... Read more
ArtsEtc: THE SPOILS OF FONTHILL Roll up! Roll up! See the famous art collection of 18th-century England's richest eccentric. William Beckford had it all, says Suzi Feay, until grief and scandal ruined his life
Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 2/3/2002; ; 700+ words ; ...and the lips sensual. This is William Beckford, the writer, scholar and connoisseur...only 13 years old at the time. William Beckford was the son of Alderman Beckford...legitimate child, however, was young William Beckford, who was brought up at the second... Read more
Weekend: Antiques & Collecting: Fast living of a fine collector; Richard Edmonds looks at the extravagant lifestyle detailed in a new book about one of England's greatest collectors, William Beckford.(Features)
Newspaper article from: The Birmingham Post (England); 12/8/2001; 700+ words ; ...days to disperse. But William Beckford also came to his flowering...early 19th centuries. William Beckford an Eye for The Magnificent...young teenage boy, William (''Kitty'') Courtenay...The scandal forced Beckford to live abroad since... Read more

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