Greenwich Hospital: Sir Christopher Wren, 1694.

English Baroque is a casual term sometimes used to refer to the developments in English architecture that were parallel to the evolution of Baroque architecture in continental Europe between the Great Fire of London (1666) and the Treaty of Utrecht (1713). ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 835 KB) Picture of an Greenwich Hospital from the banks of the Thames in Greenwich, London, England. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 835 KB) Picture of an Greenwich Hospital from the banks of the Thames in Greenwich, London, England. ... The Greenwich Hospital was founded in 1694 as the Royal Naval Hospital for Seamen. ... Christopher Wren by Godfrey Kneller, 1711. ... The architecture of the United Kingdom has a long and diverse history from beyond Stonehenge to the designs of Norman Foster and the present day. ... For the Baroque style in a more general sense, see Baroque. ... The Great Fire of London was a major fire that swept through the City of London from 2-5 September 1666, and resulted more or less in the destruction of the city. ... The Treaty of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed in Utrecht in 1713 that helped end the War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Annes War) By its provisions, Louis XIVs grandson Philip V of Spain was recognized as King of Spain, but Spains European empire...

Baroque aesthetics, whose influence was so potent in mid-17th century France, made little impact in England during the Protectorate and the first Restoration years. For a decade between the death of Inigo Jones in 1652 and Christopher Wren's visit to Paris in 1665 there was no English architect of the accepted premier class. Unsurprisingly, general interest in European architectural developments was slight. The Protectorate in English history refers specifically to the English government of 1653 to 1659 under the direct control of Oliver Cromwell, who assumed the title of Lord Protector of the newly declared Commonwealth of England (later the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland) after the English Civil War. ... King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... Inigo Jones, by Sir Anthony van Dyck Inigo Jones (July 15, 1573–June 21, 1652) is regarded as the first significant English architect. ... Christopher Wren by Godfrey Kneller, 1711. ...

It was Wren who presided over the genesis of the English Baroque manner, which differed from the continental models by clarity of design and subtle taste for classisism. Following the Great Fire of London, Wren rebuilt fifty three churches, where Baroque aesthetics are apparent primarily in dynamic structure and multiple changing views. His most ambitious work was St Paul's Cathedral (1675-1711), which bears comparison with the most effulgent domed churches of Italy and France. In this majestically proportioned edifice, the Palladian tradition of Inigo Jones is fused with contemporary continental sensibilities in masterly equilibrium. Less influential were straightforward attempts to engraft the Berniniesque vision onto British church architecture (e.g., by Thomas Archer in St. John's, Smith Square, 1728). The Great Fire of London was a major fire that swept through the City of London from 2-5 September 1666, and resulted more or less in the destruction of the city. ... St Pauls Cathedral from the south St Pauls Cathedral is a cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. ... A villa with a superimposed portico, from Book IV of Palladios I Quattro Libri dellArchitettura, in a modestly priced English translation published in London, 1736. ... A self portrait: Bernini is said to have used his own features in the David (below, left) Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) (December 7, 1598 - November 28, 1680), who worked chiefly in Rome, was the pre-eminent baroque artist. ... Thomas Archer (1668-1743) was an English baroque architect. ... St. ...

Seaton Delaval Hall: Sir John Vanbrugh, 1718.

Although Wren was also active in secular architecture, the first truly baroque country house in England was built to a design by William Talman at Chatsworth, starting in 1687. The culmination of Baroque architectural forms comes with Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. Each was capable of a fully developed architectural statement, yet they preferred to work in tandem, most notably at Castle Howard (1699) and Blenheim Palace (1705). Seaton Delaval Hall, drawn before completion, as Vanbrugh envisaged the house. ... Sir John Vanbrugh in Godfrey Knellers Kit-cat portrait, considered one of Knellers finest portraits. ... For the Blur single, see Country House (song). ... The South Front of Chatsworth from Colen Campbells Vitruvius Britannicus. ... A view of Chatsworth from the south-west circa 1880. ... Sir John Vanbrugh in Godfrey Knellers Kit-cat portrait, considered one of Knellers finest portraits. ... The career of Nicholas Hawksmoor (probably 1661 - 25 March 1736) formed the brilliant middle link in Britains trio of great baroque architects. ... The garden front of Castle Howard John Vanburghs complete project for Castle Howard, which was not all built. ... Blenheim Palace, The Great Court. ...

Although these two palaces may appear somewhat ponderous or turgid to Italian eyes, their heavy embellishment and overpowering mass captivated the British public, albeit for a short while. Castle Howard is a flamboyant assembly of restless masses dominated by a cylindrical domed tower which would not be out of place in Dresden or Munich. Blenheim is a more solid construction, where the massed stone of the arched gates and the huge solid portico becomes the main ornament. Vanbrugh's final work was Seaton Delaval Hall (1718), a comparatively modest mansion yet unique in the structural audacity of its style. It was at Seaton Delaval that Vanbrugh, a skillful playwright, achieved the peak of Restoration drama, once again highlighting a parallel between Baroque architecture and contemporary theatre. Despite his efforts, Baroque was never truly to the English taste and well before his death in 1724 the style had lost currency in Britain. Dresden (Sorbian: Drježdźany; etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest) is the capital city of the German Federal State of Saxony and situated in a valley on the River Elbe. ... Munich (German: München, (pronounced listen) is the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria (German: Freistaat Bayern). ... Seaton Delaval Hall, drawn before completion, as Vanbrugh envisaged the house. ...

References

• Downes, Kerry. English Baroque Architecture. London, A. Zwemmer, 1966.