Luxury in the Eighteenth Century

Luxury was the keyword of the eighteenth century. This volume explores the political, economic, moral and intellectual effects of the production and consumption of luxury goods, The history of luxury links diverse topics of enquiry such as material culture, taste, civility and sensibility, literature and art. We provide a broadly based account from a variety of perspectives, addressing key themes of economic debate, material culture, the principles of art and taste, luxury as 'female vice' and the exotic. We provide a broad over lapping perspective in fifteen short chapters from leading scholars who use fresh, interdisciplinary approaches.