A Gentleman's Refuge ─ A Work by Anthony Foster

Anthony Foster receives an invite from a dear friend, a horse lover (and for this reason a 'knight') to re-design, decorate and buy artworks for a 'shelter', a villa, starting the job from scratch. For Anthony Foster, the task provides an opportunity to work in complete freedom, having a dialogue with the linguistic variety of our times, free from any obligation with respect to periods and genres. The result is a structured space, which is at the same time eccentric and fluid, characterised by a clear atmosphere and a simple formality, classic in terms of symmetry, layout and brightness.

The majority of the artworks - statues and amphorae coming from Greece and Ancient Rome, paintings by the Italian and European masters of the XVI century, paintings of modern masters, Persian carpets of great value, and many more - have been traced in Europe and America in the antique market, in private collections and auction houses. However, most of the furniture and many accessories are a testimony of the Made in Italy: a made-to-order production inspired by a solid and notorious artisan tradition, marked by sobriety and formal perfection, by the exceptional quality of materials and creation, which manifests itself in the smallest details, for example in the finishing touches.

The volume, which bears testimony of the outcome of this creative experience, is of great format and quality under every single aspect, and it is positioned at the confluence between a photographic volume and an art catalogue and as far as regards the profiles of the most important works it avails itself of notorious authors, such as Vittorio Sgarbi, Giancarlo Gentilini, Sandro Bellesi etc., coordinated by Marina Carmignani.

A man of histrionic talent, as illustrated by his early career in music, Anthony Foster later began to deal in carpets and tapestries. This engaged him mainly with the principal international auction houses, the European antiques fairs and the flourishing contemporary market of Istanbul. In 1988 he opened an important and successful gallery in Mexico City, followed ten years later by a new display space in Los Angeles. As well as being an established art dealer, he is also a scholar and an expert on period carpets and tapestries. His expertise in the textile sphere has led to his participation at many international conferences and congresses in the sector. He combines all this with an ongoing passion for interior design which he pursues through ambitious and refined decor projects. With a keen eye for unique objects of various types, he continues to acquire specialist texts for a fine and ever-expanding library. He divides his time between Mexico City, Italy and the Lycian coast of southern Turkey.