The reception and study of Renaissance architecture in Great Britain, 1890-1914

Abstract

The writing of Renaissance architectural history in the period 1890-1914 in Great Britain changed dramatically. Despite modernism's tenet of rejecting history from design, Renaissance architectural history in Great Britain functioned as both an alternative to and a source of inspiration for modernism. At first Renaissance architecture supplied a stylistic alternative to the Gothic Revival; then it acted as a bastion against modernist influences from the Continent. Finally, it provided a foundation of aesthetic principles applicable to modern design. With the advent of university programs in architecture, the writing of architectural history became more formalized, marking the beginning of architectural history's autonomy as a discipline and foreshadowing modernism's rejection of history from the design process. In my dissertation I analyze the perceptions and presentations of Renaissance architecture in order to investigate the relationship between history and design in architectural education, literature, and practice at the turn of the century in Great Britain. An analysis of architectural curricula, designs, and publications from this period reveals the development of an autonomous architectural history and the foundations of a modern architecture.