CHRISTOPHER WREN: BIOGRAPHY, CONTRIBUTIONS, DEATH - BIOGRAPHIES - 2024

Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723) was an Englishman who excelled in different branches such as design, geometry and astronomy. He went down in history as the most important architect in England of his time.

His legacy consists of more than 50 churches, the most important undoubtedly being St. Paul's Cathedral located in London. Although he was also in charge of other buildings that had nothing to do with the religious theme.

Portrait of Christopher Wren. Photograph by Godfrey Kneller See Commons: When to Use the PD-Art Tag for more information., Public Domain, He helped found the Royal Society of London when he was 30 years old. Although scientific group meetings had been held a long time before, it was established that the members of this society would meet once a week and that they would have to make an economic contribution to finance experiments. Wren for two years was the president of this group.

One of the most important recognitions he could receive as an Englishman was having been knighted in 1673. In addition, he was respected by other important scientists of the time such as Isaac Newton or Pascal.

Biography

Early years, family and basic studies

Christopher Wren was born on October 20, 1632 in the county of Wiltshire, between Bristol and London. Wren from very early on was surrounded by important intellectuals. In large part because of his father's work as rector.

His first years of life were characterized by having suffered some health problems. He had three brothers who were born before him.

His first approach at the scientific level was when he showed a certain passion for mathematics. His father was appointed dean in Windsor and the family had to move to this area of ​​England to live, until the civil wars in England that began in 1642, disrupted the quality of life for the Wren.

Wren's father had to retire early from his academic duties and returned to Bristol. Shortly after they moved to Oxfordshire. There they lived with William Holder, the husband of one of Wren's sisters.

Holder was an important philosopher of the time and a great influence on Wren, with whom he was able to experience many things related to astronomy. Similarly, Wren attended school in Westminster.

During the stage in which he showed great interest in astronomy, Wren was commissioned to translate some works of William Oughtred into Latin. He was also able to build some devices to expand his knowledge of astronomy and meteorology.

Change of course

At the age of 15, Wren again showed interest in a different area. This time it was the fault of Charles Scarborough, an anatomist who made Wren begin to lean toward physiology. They worked together to create some models that would represent the way people's muscles worked.

But one of the characteristics that stood out the most about Wren during this stage was his work on a visual level. She designed schemes that stood out for their great beauty and elegance.

At the age of 17, he entered Wadham, Oxford, and took over his own tuition. He graduated smoothly two years later. He continued his studies and managed to specialize in 1653.

Teaching career

He began his teaching career by teaching astronomy at Gresham, an institution located in London in 1657.

Then, between 1657 and 1600 he was moving between Gresham and Oxford teaching. At that time, Wren was not even 30 years old, being one of the youngest professors in these institutions.

Passion for architecture

Wren switched areas of expertise again. This time she devoted herself to architecture, a branch in which she could stand out due to the absence of relevant artists in England. The last great architect of the country had been Inigo Jones and it had already been more than a decade since his death.

He had his first opportunity to participate in a play and make his mark when he designed the Sheldonian Theater in London. Today this venue continues to function as a concert venue. It was a gift from Chancellor Gilbert Sheldon to the University of Oxford.

Wren was inspired by a Roman theater to carry out the Sheldonian design. It was commissioned after other works for various academic institutions.

St. Paul's Cathedral in London, one of Wren's most important works. Source: Txllxt TxllxT, via Wikimedia Commons.

He had previously advised on some church designs and had traveled abroad to further learn about the architecture of the time in other parts of Europe.

Its impact on construction was most evident after the great fire that occurred in London for three days in September 1666. The fire devastated much of the English capital. One of Wren's jobs was planning how the new city would be shaped.

Although he had plans to implement new roads and avenues, he could not carry them out. If it left its mark in the remodeling of more than 50 churches that had been affected during the fire.

San Pablo's cathedral

The great work located in London is closely linked to Wren. After years of neglect, the architect played an important role in the remodeling of the old building. Later, after the fires of 1666, he was again consulted for the reconstruction of the work.

The Cathedral had been seriously damaged during the great fire and the government had made the decision to build it again. He was involved throughout the process it took to rebuild the new Cathedral, which lasted more than 30 years.

Death

Christopher Wren died in 1723 at the age of 91. His tombstone is in the Cathedral of St. Paul, which shows its importance in the construction of the iconic building.

Contributions

St. Paul's Cathedral in London (or Saint Paul's Cathedral in English) focused Wren's attention for most of his career. The dome he designed for this work is one of the largest in the world. For a long time it was the tallest building in the English capital.

He also participated in the construction of a monument that commemorates the great fire that occurred in the seventeenth century. The work is located in the same place where the first flames began to burn London for three days.

St. Vedast Church shows a very common characteristic of Wren and that is that it came to mix aspects of the neoclassical style with Gothic elements. The churches were the works where his imprint was most marked.

References

1. Bennett, JA Mathematical Science Of Christopher Wren. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
2. Conan Doyle, Arthur. Christopher Wren. Oxford University Press, 2004.
3. Hutchison, Harold Frederick. Sir Christopher Wren. Readers Union, 1976.
4. Little, Bryan. Sir Christopher Wren. Robert Hale, 1975.
5. Rabbitts, Paul A. Sir Christopher Wren. Shire Publications, 2019.