This catalog showcases three hundred full-color photographs of the finest works from among the collection, many of which have never before been published or made available for public display. Produced in Germany, France, and Britain during one of the most dramatic periods of change across all aspects of political, intellectual, and cultural life, the works reflect changing views of science, politics, and art throughout the early to mid-eighteenth century--the period when modern Britain was coming into being.

Despite the depth of this collection and its cultural importance, artistic production during the early Hanoverian period has been less well-documented than during the late Hanoverian period. With this volume, Desmond Shawe-Taylor directs our attention to this relatively neglected period.