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St Paul's Cathedral is one of the most magnificent buildings ever constructed. With arches modelled on those in the ancient Basilica of Maxentius and a huge dome rivaling that of St Peter's, Wren's Cathedral reflects the glory of ancient and modern Rome. In structure, form and detail the design exemplifies Wren's principle of natural beauty, which he justified with reference to the history of architecture and the hidden truths of nature as cultivated by seventeenth-century science. Wren advised the architect 'to think his judges...those that are to live five centuries after him, as (well as) those of his own time', and St Paul's represents Wren's own attempt to set in stone an architecture of eternal validity.
Pelican Cartoon, ca. 1800.
A biography of Sir Christopher Wren from one of Britain's best writers and historians
An account of the construction of St. Paul's Cathedral in London by Christopher Wren after old St. Paul's was destroyed by fire in 1666. Also discusses other Wren churches and buildings and the relation of Wren's style to his historical period.
The Great Fire of 1666 devastated the centre of London, with a loss of old St Paul's and eighty-six parish churches. Sir Christopher Wren, working with Commissioners appointed by Parliament, was responsible for rebuilding the cathedral and fifty-one of the parish churches, although the immediate need to start rebuilding made his design for an overall replanning of the City impossible. The work was funded by a tax on coals brought into the City of London. Much has been written about Wren's rebuilding of St Paul's, while the other fifty-ne parish chirches he was appointed to reconstruct are generally overlooked. This is the first modern book to examine them as a whole. Paul Jeffery describes how and when the churches were built, exploring the respective contributions of Wren and of his two principal assistants, Robert Hooke and Nicholas Hawksmoor. The result of their work was a unique set of contemporary churches. While not all are of the standard of Wren's masterpieces, such as St Stephen Walbrook and St Bride's, none is without architectural merit and interest. The second part of the book is a gazetteer of all the churches, including those that no longer exist. The book is heavily illustrated and provides a visual strong record of all the churches. Since they were built the Wren churches have suffered steady losses. St Christopher-le-Stocks was demolished in 1782 to make way for the Bank of England. Others, such as St Dionis Backchurch and St Antholin Budge Row, were lost to Victorian parish rationalisation. Many were destroyed or badly damaged in the Second World War. Only twenty-three of the original fifty-one remain. These are now under threat again, with the Templeman Report's proposal that only four of the existing churches (none by Wren) should be retained as parish churches. They provide a test case of conservation, sitting as they do in the middle of the City of London. The City Churches of Sir Christopher Wren presents a clear case both for their importance and for their preservation.