Baines/High Culture, 1. Contexts and representations of high culture

This chapter introduces the aim of the study, as well as the main topics of each chapter. High culture is presented as a domain that structures aspects of elite life and is indispensable in imparting full meaning to it, as well as intensifying its self-contained character. The book considers the physical environment and the landscape vital, and the themes as having implications for the urban–rural balance.