Author

Publication

2020 - Yale University Press

Language

English

Word Count

58,000 words, Guess

Page Count

232 pages

Identifiers

  • ISBN-139781913107079
  • ISBN-101913107078
  • OCLC Control Number1140141533
  • Better World Books9781913107079
  • Open LibraryOL28063865M

Classifications

  • LCCNA997.W8
  • LCCNA350 .H37 2020

Description

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.

Subjects

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