How influential was Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin to the Gothic Revival in 19th Century Britain? Critical and Contextual Studies. Thea Hyde 210090
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The 12th cenutry was when “gothic, our national architecture” evolved, as John Carter stated in the Ancient Architecutre of England (1791-1814). Romanesque architecture was slowly evolving as new construction methods started to be introduced such as, the pointed arch, the flying buttresses and the ribbed vaults. All of these new methods allowed architects begin to create new inspiring and beautiful structures. The Gothic style began to bring forth many significant religious buildings such as abbeys, churches and cathedrals with the majority of them still standing today. The most famous Gothic styled architecutre is probably the Notre Dam Cathedral or Durham Cathedral. Although the Gothic period was slowly being replaced by the Renaissance period followed by the Baroque in Europe, it lasted a lot longer in England. The 19th cenutry is generally reffered to as the Gothic Revival, however, a man called Kenneth Clark wrote in his booked called “The Gothic Revival”:
“[…] from 1600 to 1800 perhaps no years passed which did not see the building of some pointed arch and gabbled roof, or the restoration of some crumbling tracey. There are churches, colleges, pirvate houses, built under the stiffest Augustan tyranny, which can only be classified as Gothic; and they have led some writers to suggest the phrase ‘The Gothic Revival’ should be abandoned as misleading.” Although it may not be seen as such an abrupt rebirth of the Gothic style, there was most definitely a rise in interest in the Gothic style by distinguished English archiects such as AWN Pugin, which is who I will be studying throughout my essay. Before I begin my essay on Pugin, I will identify the reasons to why he believed he needed to revive this mediveal art period. Changes were taking place rapidly in England due to the Industrial Revolution. This is the process of the mechanising of the industry, the people of Enngland underwent major changes in their lives through social, political and religious aspects. Today we experience the indisputable technological incline, which we could relate to how the people of Victorian England were feeling and possibly what they were going through. With people being overwhelmed by the advancement in technology and science, leading to Britian developing electricity and the origins of such things as night shifts,it altered the quality of life. The population began to believe in the progress of science, and the power of brain over belief, which led to changes in peoples beliefs and left no space for God. This can be linked to a survey that was carried out in February 2015 by the Gov/The Times, the survey was based on a sample size of 1,555 people. Figures show that 42% of Britian had no religion, leaving only 49% of the population as Christian. The majority of the population in 2015 believe in the progress of science, which again is leaving no space for the belief in God. Before I begin to study the rise of the Gothic style in architecture, I must take into account all the different changes that took place in England in the 19th century. Due to the advancement in technology the market expanded, which resulted in people leaving the countryside and migrating to the large cities of London and Manchester. This caused drastic changes for England as a whole. It resulted in population increase,meaning people were living in cramped conditions and other major changes to the quality of life. The population of London went from 1 million in 1801 to a staggering 3.8 million in 1871. Again, this is another factor constituting people questioning the role of religion in society.
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A lot of people were left unhappy with the social and religious changes brought by the Industrialisation. A lot of people decided to go back to the medieval world where they believed craftsmen were talented and produced goods with their hands, unlike the massive industrial factories that were mass producing products which made the products loose the unique touch that they once had. One of the people who believed in this was AWN Pugin. He believed that people should use the local materials available and admired the creativity of crafting and in terms of the social aspect, he dreamed of going back to the aforementioned medieval world where goods were made by hand and talent. “After losing his first (of three) wives after only two
years of marriage, he converted to Catholicism(…), perhaps due more to architectural then theological reasons, his other passion being Christian (Roman Catholicism) architecture, specifically the opulent “second pointed” style of the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries”. Pugin wrote in a series of letters to his friend O Smond:
“I assure you that after a most close and impartial investigation, I feel perfectly convinced the Roman Catholic Church is the only true one, and the only one in which the grand and sumlime style of church and architecture can ever be restored. A very good chapel is now building in the North, and when it is complete I certainly think I shall recant”. Pugin had a lot of very unusual theories and ideas of the society we live in, he believed that architecture is intimately connnected with the state of society and he stated that it is connected with the state of society that produces it. He also believed that true Christian architecture could only surface when the communal spirit of the middle ages is re-established, which led him to become a key figure promoting the medieval Gothic architecture in his writings. One of his most requisite contributions was his work ‘Contrasts’, in which he polemicized against all modern architecture and society. The Church Comissioners following the Arts of 1803, 1811, 1818 and 1824 and stated his fondness for Medieval European art and also Medieval ethos as a whole. He honestly believed that Gothic architecture was a purer and cleaner society which valued all of Pugins relgious and moral values. In this book Pugin talks about the urban buildings and juxtaposed the 19th century sample with corresponding example from the 15th century. A man that had a very strong impact on Pugin and his way of thinking was a man called John Keble,who in 1833 delivered a speech, in Oxford, where he spoke about the state of the Church of England. He indicated that he wanted to bring back Catholic rituals into the Church of England, due to the rise in Anglo-Catholic ideolgy the beginning of the Oxford movement began, which resulted in building a variety of large churches to accommodate for the needs of all British people due to the rise in population. Due to the rise in population, it also resulted in a larger number of deaths which meant creating more churches allowing more burial space.
This is an illustration from Pugin’s book ‘Contrasts’. On the right is the Kings cross Battle Bridge, and on the right is the Chichester Cross in Gothic style. [Figure 1]
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Pugin first started off at the age of 23 as a ghost architect to the Westminster-born architect, Sir Charles Barry. He contributed to one of the most admired buildings in the history of architecture, the Palace of Westminster. Sir Charles Barry went on to win a competition which took place in 1835-36. It set forth that all the entries needed to be Elizabethen or Gothic in style. The decision to create one of the most important buildings in the country Gothic,was remarkable in regards to initiating the Gothic as part of the national identity, and announcing it as a contemporary stylistic language. There were 97 entires to the competition in total, with all but 6 of them being in the Gothic style. The first stone superstrcuture was laid in 1840 and the construction was completed later in 1868. The lavish and deluxe appearance of the Palace was impeccable, the attention to detail and the signed decorations we owe all to Pugin’s incredible drawings. Pugin signed most of the decorative elements which he created from a variety of different panelling, carvings and gilt work. Barry very much relied on Pugin’s drawings and without them, I believe it is fair to say that the building would have, without a doubt not have become so [Figure 2] Pugin’s intricate drawings renowned on such a scale, the interior would not have and design of the Palace of the lavish details that we appreciate so much. Although Westminster. many
[Figure 3] The Palace of Westminster.
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probably believe that Pugin wasn’t a huge influence on the Houses of Parliament and is considered secondary by some, it is a fact that the whole of the buildings surface was all inspired by Pugin and his skill. However, Barry was responsible for the overall composition and structure of the building as well as the internal and external proportions considering the relationship between the different rooms. The Houses of Parliament is an excellent example of Pugins’ love for Gothic architecture. It differentiates itself by an emphasis on the slick vertical lines which is in juxtaposiiton with the horizontal windows and other elements to the building. The linerarity becomes very pronounced from the millions of windows which decorate the building, however, comparing these windows to the gothic they are much thinner.
[Figure 4] Close up of the façade. We can see the linearity and relationship between the horizontal and vertical lines. However, Pugin did use a varierty of ancient motifs such as windows which are located on either sides of the chamber on the building. They are both decorated with stained-glass which represented the monarchs of England and Scotland. During the Second World War Pugins designs were lost and replaced in 1950 with depictions of the coats of arms of the aristoctrats between 14th and 20th centuries. As I already stated, Pugin believed that architecture is a reflection of the society we live in. There is breathtaking stonework that we can see on the façade, it is made out of a magnesian limestone from the Auston Quarry in Yorkshire. A year before the first stone of superstructure was laid, Sir Charles Barry and a few geologists visited a variety of different quarries and buildings across the country in a search to find the perfect material for Westminster Palace. As I previously stated, the first quarry they chose was the Auston Quarry in
[Figure 5] Pugin’s design of the stained glass window.
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Yorkshire, however, the other chosen one was in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire. The limestone in Auston was cheaper and also supplied in thicker blocks compared to Mansfield Woodhouse. At the time of the Palace being built, transporting that amount of weight and volume was very difficult. They ended up transporting this by moving the limestone via boat by either the River Thames, Trent and the North Sea.
[Figure 6] A painting and design by Pugin of the House of Lords. consists of the colour of red and gold.
To the left is a painting by Pugin and Rowlandson. The painting is of The House of Lords, which is known to be one of the most lavishly decorated chambers in the entire Palace. We can see that Pugin excels at creating these beautiful and elaborate designs. He takes into consderation the furnishing, the ceiling and walls, all the way down to the small attention to details. Overall, the room measures at 33+3m’ and as shown in the drawing it mainly
Pugin’s career was relatively short as he died at the age of 40, the amount of work that he created within his time from a variety of different designs, books, drawings and buildings was tremendous. As I already stated, The House of Lords is one of the most extrodinary chambers in the Palace of Westminster, and one of the focal points in this room is most definitely The Royal Throne [Figure 8]. This chair is one of Pugin’s beautiful designs, which was inspired by the only throne that survived from the medieval period which is known as, St. Edwards chair [Figure 7]. Luckily for Pugin, St. Edwards chair was located in Westminster Abbey, a short journey from the Palace so he was able to gain vital inspiration from this. In my opinion, this is one of Pugin’s most extraordinary designs from the guilded canopy to the beautiful pattern, it is truly astonishing. The guilded canopy which surrounds the throne gives the monarch a visual signifiance to the viewers as it evokes his power in comparison to the rest of the aristocracy. Not only should we admire the pure genuis that Pugin was for single handedly creating this design, but we should also give our consideration and attention to the [Figure 7] St. Edwards Chair craftsmanship that went into this piece, revival of which he located in Westminster Abbey. so desperately wanted!
[Figure 8] The Royal Throne designed by Pugin in the House of Lords.
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Moving on to the famous Elizabeth Tower [Figure 9] also known by the common nickname of Big Ben. Big Ben is the most prominent and known architectural landmark in Britian. The tower was completed and in action in 1858. The Tower very much resembles one of Pugin’s previous tower projects called the Scarisbrick Hall [Figure 10]. In Pugin’s Clock towers he emphasises the medieval architectural language by using flying buttresses and gargolyes. The top of the spire is crowned with the gilded cross, which is amalgamating the sercular architecture with the ecclesisastical elements, which link back to a previous and purer medieval society.
[Figure 10] A design by Pugin of one of his previous tower projects called Scarisbrick Hall. [Figure 9] Big Ben.
In 1846, five years after AWN Pugin had published his book “The True Principles of Christian or Pointed Architecutre”, he built a Parish Church called St. Giles in Headle, Staffordshire. In the opinion of Pugin he believed that St Giles Church was a success in reviving the spirit of Gothic. Pugin described it as “Chealed perfect Cheadle, my consolation in all my affections”. It is understandable that Pugin would think such a thing as it is the decorated style revivial, as we can see the plan is completely symmetrical and aial.
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This architectural building is an excellent example of the traditional craftsmanship with the building made from local matierals and polychromy. The stone is cleanly cut with the main entrance being created by a stone pointed arch combined with the surrounding stone acting as a framework, which is another perfect example of Pugin’s attention to details. A feature in which I believe eminences the composition is the 200ft “heaven pointing” spire which has a parctiuclar sharpness to it, again, showing the architectural language.
[Figure 11]. Pugin’s intricate and incredible drawings of the plans of the exterior, interior and lay out of St. Giles church. The combination of the red background and the gilded metalwork which is juxtaposed with the polychromy of the façade gives a very interesting yet beautiful effect. Pugin has used the same amalgamation of the interior in the Lords Chambers which I had previously spoken about. On either side of the door are sculptures of St. Giles, the patrons of the beggars, people who suffered from the sudden misery and the cripples. St. Giles was all about the people with which Pugin sympahsised with the most. Pugin personally believed that the different parts of the building should be recognised by the obvious difference in roof levels. He made sure the aisles, prohces, chancel and Bless sacrament chapel were all different levels and easily distinguishable from one another. It is very important to state that Pugin went back to the old Catholic tradition lay out of building churches in a very specific way, with the alter facing east towards the holy city of Jerusalem.
[Figure 12] The incredible and breath taking interior of St. Giles church, all designed by Pugin.
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Again, as we look at the interior we can see Pugin’s luxuious designs [Figure 12]. The alter is made up from, again, red and gold which seem to be two of Pugin’s favourite colours to work with. The beautiful decorations, the stained glass windows and the sculptures are just yet another example of Pugin’s unbelievable skill and creative mind. He wasn’t as limited whilst designing this church, which allowed him to use nothing but local materials and the talent of local craftsmen to create this church. It was thought that this architectural building could not be made due to the financial position – Pugin didn’t want that to be a limitiation. When looking at Pugin’s floor plan [Figure 13] we are able to see that he didn’t follow the cruciform floor plan which was characteristic to medieval cathedrals, but instead followed his rule which he states in ‘True Princpals’:
“There should be no features about a building which are not necessary for convenience, construction or property.” Although St. Giles Church isn’t internationally known, I personally believe that Pugin did succeed in creating this medieval church with nothing but the craftsmanship and talent of men and local materials – and no one will be able to recreate that. St. Giles in Cheadle was one of Pugins most astonishing pieces of works as he follows his principles throughout, regarding the Gothic architecutre. Although Pugin only lived until the age of 40, he created [Figure 13] Plan of St. Giles 100 years worth of buildings, designs, drawings and Cheadle. writings. He didn’t rest for anyone, whilst the construction of the Cheadle’s St Giles, Pugin was also writing his book ‘Apology’ in which he depicted an idea of the perfect building for domestic nature. However, the house he was describing wasn’t a medieval house, but a new modern Gothic, which combined his ideas and beliefs with it perfectly fitting in terms of the residential practice. Pugin’s second house that he built for himself was the Grange, with the first being St Marie’s Grange, Alderbury in Wiltshire. His second house in Kent was purchased by Pugin in 1841, however, the house wasn’t built until 1844. It would be untrue to say that Pugin didn’t achieve his quote from his Apology of 1843:
“The only correct expression of the faith, vants, and climate of our country… whilst we profess and creed of Christians, whilst we glory in being Englishmen, let us have an architecture, the arrangement and details of which able to remind us of our faith and our country” – Apology for the Revival of Christian Architecture in England – A W N Pugin. His second house ‘The Grange’ was a traditional English house, it manifests the national spirit in every feature of the architectural language that Pugin used within his design. Pugin, again, made sure that the construction of the house was carried out by someone of his preference – in this case it was a talented craftsman called George Myers. According to Pugin’s rule of “form follows function” he believed that the building should celebrate its functionality. When looking
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at the floorplan [Figure 14] it does show that The Grange is predominantely a practical
[Figure 14] The Grange was restored a decade ago, however, they tried to keep it as close to Pugin’s original designs as possible. design mainly all revolving from the focal point of the interior which was the brightly lit staircase. The interior has been designed to combine the modern with the architecrual and idealogical elements of medieval ethos. He wanted the interior to be expressed in the exterior of the building instead of limiting himself by the shape of the building, which happened in the very popular symmetrical Georgian architecture. In the Grange you can see his love for Christian architecture coming through, as the building features a square tower [Figure 15], where Pugin was able to watch the sea and vessels. It also featured a private chapel where he and his family could pray. All of the furniture and wallpaper in his house was all his own designs – apart from the beautiful woodwork and wall panelling. The house wasn’t the only part of this property, he had also designed a Parish Church called St. Augustines which he started to construct at his own cost. Unfortunately, Pugin never got to finish this church in his lifetime, however, a decade after Pugins death his son moved to live in The Grange and it was he who finished the construction of the church.
[Figure 15] The exterior of The Grange.
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From the beginning of the 12th century when the birth of the pointed arch began, Gothic architeture began proceeding onto Romanesque style. However, we know that for Pugin it wasn’t just about the architectural elements of the Gothic style that he loved, but also the values and morals of a perfect and religious society. In Pugin’s book ‘Contrasts’ he expresses his view that architecture reflects the state of the society we live in. He believes the urban environment that was created brought the need for industrialised constructions which used iron and materials that weren’t found from the local area. It employed fabricated eliments which went against all the rules of craftsmanship and pure talent, which Pugin forever admired and believed in. The fast changes that industrialisation had on Britian must have had a major effect on Pugin and the rest of the population, which is why Pugin fought so hard throughout his life to believe in Christianity over Utilitarism. He believed by surrounding the people of Britian with religious and handcrafted architecture, they in turn would be reminded of the religious qualities, and hopefully stop industrialisation spreading across Europe. In St. Giles church it is evident of Pugins pure love for the Gothic architecture and the traditional Catholic manner in which he shows, with the high alter and other traditions of the church. The decorations of the church were elaborate, however, they did go against all that was typical in an English Worship. Pugin’s work changed the 19th cenutry and kept the spirit of the Gothic Revival alive. Whether you are in a town in Britian, or a city in Europe you will find Gothic architecture and this is due to the hard work that Pugin put through to fight for what he believed was right, he emphasised the local, strong craftsmanship that no one else did. His work is spread throughout England, and still to this day stops Britian being completely industrialised. A W N Pugin influenced future generations of architects through his drawings, buildings and writings. His pure love and painstaking efforts pushed the Gothic Revival and made it the national architecture of Britian. His design of the Big Ben Clock in Gothic style became the national symbol of the modern Britian, and still is to this current day.
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Bibliography.
1. Clark, K (1986). The Gothic Revival. 3rd e.d. London: John Murray (Publishers) Ltd...7. 2. Christopher John Murray (2013). Encylopedia of the Romantic Era,17804850: Routledge. 916. 3. Pugin as quoted by – Clark, K (1988). The Gothic Revival. 3rd ed. London: John Murray (Publishers 125-126. 4. Hill, R (2008). Gos Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romnatic Britian. United States.Yale University Press. 248. 5. Pugin, Augustus Webly Northmore (2003). The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture and Apology for thee Revival of Christian Architecture. Leomister: Gracewing Publishing. 6. Pugin as quoted by Alexander r. M (2007). Medievalism: The Middle Ages in Modern England. United States: Yale University Press. 79 7. Pugin as quoted by Hill, Rosemary (3rd March 2009), Gods Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britian. Yale University Press. P.482 Retrived 9 July 2014. 8. Pugin as quoted by O’Donnell, R. (2002). The Pugins and the Catholic Midlands, Leominster: Gravewing Publishing. 22 9. Expert from Pugin’s True Principles as quoted by Chesire, J. (2004). Stained Glass and the Victorian Gothic Revival, Mancester. Manchester University Press, 6. 10. Pugin, Augustus Webly Northmore (2003). The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture and An Apology for the Revival of Christian Architecture, Leominster: Gracewing Publishing. 11. Hill, R (2008). God’s Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britian. United States: Yale University Press. 293.