\paperw3360 \margr0\margl0\ATXph16380 \plain \fs20 \f1 \fs22 The model for all those wishing to make their mark on society through ostentatious consumption must have been Chiswic
k House in London, built between 1723 and 1729. Lord Burlington, its owner and creator, was a keen amateur architect, and one of the foremost promoters of Palladianism in England. The centrepiece of Chiswick House is a lofty octagonal space lit by semi
circular windows beneath the dome. Four doors invite the visitor to explore the series of stately rooms which unfold like compartments in a carefully devised cabinet of delights. Largely designed by William Kent, the interiors centre around the Domed S
aloon, where all paths meet. Symmetrically placed stone benches would have allowed guests to sit and indulge in some enlightened discourse on aesthetic matters before resuming their meanderings through the galleries. At Chiswick House there are practic
ally no concessions to domesticity, for it was never a residence as such. Burlington designed it uniquely for parade and display, for hosting receptions and for the exposition of works of art. It is thus an extremely refined example of the desire to pr
oject an image that was to obsess increasing numbers of people over the next one hundred years. But whereas Burlington with his aristocratic origins and his considerable learning was well placed to create a work of considerable beauty, many of his later
emulators had only recently made their money and hoped through buying and improving property to establish their gentility. These latter came in for considerable mockery in the hands of some of the late \ATXnt901 18th and early 19th century novelists\ATXnt0 .\par
