102. Title & Author: Christopher Wren by Kerry Downes (188 pages)Genre: Nonfiction--Art History
Completed: 13 July 2009
Summary & Review:
After the Great Fire in 1666, London turned to Wren to build or rebuild churches, palaces, and libraries, among other buildings, in order to give new life to the decimated city. He filled the city with dozens of "symphonies in stone" which were clearly from the English tradition, but were also filled with the newest developments of the Renaissance and the rediscoveries of Antiquity. Downes covers many of these masterpieces, including a more in-depth look at St Paul's.
While I didn't think anything about Downes' scholarship or analysis was all that remarkable, I still found the book interesting because I am really partial to Wren's architecture. He completely reshaped the London skyline with dozens of church towers and the lofty, grand mass of St Paul's dome. Additionally, he probably had a bigger influence on Early American architecture (through Gibb's sketches and plates) than any other architect of his time and buildings like the U.S. Capitol are deeply indebted to this work.
Rating: 6.5
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