As the architecture of the Renaissance in Italy flourished, and led down divergent pathways to the works of Palladio and to the Baroque style, we will see how its influence was felt in England in the extraordinary achievements of Christopher Wren, and how his work led on to the "English Baroque" of John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. We will examine how Wren developed his ideas, drawing on Renaissance publications and his visit to Paris in 1665, and see how the career of Hawksmoor expanded from his role as leading assistant to Wren to the production of extraordinary buildings in his own right.
Course aim
To investigate the extraordinary range of architecture produced by Christopher Wren and see how his principal assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor developed his own remarkable building designs.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- You will need your own personal email address so that you’re able to login to the WEA’s digital learning platform: WEA Canvas. You will need to be able to understand how to follow URL links to pages on the internet. If you want to understand more about Canvas please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
- You will need to be able to follow links to join our WEA live video learning platform: WEA Zoom. If you’d like to understand more about our video learning platform, Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline and http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- This is a live lecture delivered by a subject specialist in an online webinar video learning platform. You will need to be able to access the internet on a device with speakers or earphones. There will be opportunities to take part in discussions and chats. If you’d like to know how to use Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- No skills or experience needed
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Explore and recognise features of Wren's designs which were influential in later architecture
- Consider how Nicholas Hawksmoor's architecture departed from that of his master Christopher Wren
- Discuss how the buildings of Renaissance Italy and seventeenth century Paris may have inspired the work of Wren and Hawksmoor
How will I be taught?
- The WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas will be used to provide resources or to support lessons, enable assessment, provide learner feedback and for other activities for individuals away from the course. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
- The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
- Presentations with images and colour notes provided for each session
What kind of feedback can I expect?
- A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
- You will have opportunities to discuss your progress with your tutor
What else do I need to know?
- Nothing else is needed
Pre-course work, reading and information sources
- No pre reading or pre course work is required
- Useful background reading, but not essential for the appreciation of the course. Christoph Frommel, The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance, Thames and Hudson John Summerson, Architecture in Britain 1530 to 1830, Yale
What can I do next?
- Progress to another WEA course
- Progress to a course with another provider
- Arranging visits to study buildings covered by this course
Download full course information sheet
