Christopher Wren
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In Search of Eastern Antiquity
Vaughan Hart
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Format: HardcoverPrice: $60.00
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A fresh look at the Eastern origins of Christopher Wren’s architecture
In this revelatory study of one of the great architects in British history, Vaughan Hart considers Christopher Wren’s (1632–1723) interest in Eastern antiquity and Ottoman architecture, an interest that would animate much of his theory and practice. As the early modern understanding of antiquity broadened to include new discoveries at Palmyra and Persepolis, Wren disputed common assumptions about the European origins of Classical and Gothic architecture, tracing these building traditions not to the Greeks or Germans but to the stonemasons of the biblical East. In a deft analysis, Hart contextualizes Wren’s use of classical elements—columns, domes, and cross plans—within his enthusiasm for the East and the broader Anglican interest in the Eastern church. A careful study of diary records reappraises Wren’s working relationship with Robert Hooke (1635–1703), who shared in many of Wren’s theoretical commitments. The result is a new, deepened understanding of Wren’s work.
In this revelatory study of one of the great architects in British history, Vaughan Hart considers Christopher Wren’s (1632–1723) interest in Eastern antiquity and Ottoman architecture, an interest that would animate much of his theory and practice. As the early modern understanding of antiquity broadened to include new discoveries at Palmyra and Persepolis, Wren disputed common assumptions about the European origins of Classical and Gothic architecture, tracing these building traditions not to the Greeks or Germans but to the stonemasons of the biblical East. In a deft analysis, Hart contextualizes Wren’s use of classical elements—columns, domes, and cross plans—within his enthusiasm for the East and the broader Anglican interest in the Eastern church. A careful study of diary records reappraises Wren’s working relationship with Robert Hooke (1635–1703), who shared in many of Wren’s theoretical commitments. The result is a new, deepened understanding of Wren’s work.
Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
Vaughan Hart is a professor of architecture at the University of Bath.
“Highly readable and interesting from beginning to end, this superlative volume has something to interest both the discerning architectural scholar and those with but a passing interest in Restoration Britain.”—Harry Adams, New Criterion
ISBN: 9781913107079
Publication Date: April 28, 2020
Publishing Partner: Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
Publication Date: April 28, 2020
Publishing Partner: Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
232 pages, 8 1/2 x 11
180 color + b/w illus.
180 color + b/w illus.
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