William Burges
William Burges was born on the second of April 1881. His father was Alfred Burges, a civil engineer who specialised in marine engineering. Alfred Burges was apprenticed to James Walker with whom he worked and he in his turn trained Joseph Bazelgette, who masterminded the sewage system in London. Walker and Burges designed East Bute Dock, for the Bute Estate in Cardiff; the 3rd Marquess of Bute had not yet reached his majority. William Burges intended to follow in his father's footsteps, studying at King's College in 1839 and then engineering under Edward Blore. In 1849 he joined the office of Mathew Digby Watt, the special commisioner and secretary to the Great Exhibition of 1851. He also worked on Paddington Station with Brunel. However, he seems to have constantly been attracted to the Victorian whimsy of medieval craftsmanship and Gothic fantasy. At King's college he was a contemporary of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, they were both taught by John Sell Cotman and even when studying engineering with Blore he specialised in antiquarian draughtsmanship, Edward Blore was an advocate of the Gothic Revival. From 1849 to 1851 Burges worked for Matthew Digby Wyatt, the special commissioner and secretary to the Great Exhibition of 1851. Burges worked on the Medieval Court for the exhibition, he also contributed drawings of medieval metalwork to Wyatt's book Metalwork, published 1852. In 1851 he began to work with Henry Clutton, contributing drawings to his book; Remarks with Illustrations on the Domestic Architecture of France (pub 1853).
Burges began travelling widely in Europe following his research trips to France. In 1853 he stayed in Rome and the following year he travelled around Italy with George Aitchison who described Burges as "the most accomplished thirteenth century architect England had". Burges's travels in Europe became more adventerous taking him through Greece and into Turkey. His biographer, J. Mordaunt Crook, says Burges was susceptible to the "tug of distant places: the ancient world, the dark ages, the Far East".
Between 1854 and 1856 he worked on the restoration of the Chapter House, Salisbury Cathedral. During this time he became a partner with Henry Clutton, the partnership lasted for one year. In 1859 -62 he began work on The Great Bookcase, designed to hold his collection of art books. It would later sit in the home he designed for himself, The Tower. The bookcase was decorated with paintings representing Christian and pagan art by fourteen artists including Edward Poynter, Henry Holiday, Simeon Solomon, Rossetti, Albert Moore, Stacy Marks and Burne-Jones.
Burges's first large solo commission was for Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork. He arrived in Cardiff in 1865 and began work on the Castle in 1868. By the 1870s his work on Cardiff Castle was causing quite a stir. It had both popular and snob appeal and so was widely copied.Bute imposed the style that Burges established in re-modeling Cardiff Castle on all new buildings in Cardiff from town houses to terraces. In 1871 he began work on Park House for McConnochie, engineer, Cardiff Mayor and Bute stooge. In 1872 he began work on the reconstruction of Castell Coch and in 1875 his own home in Holland Park, The Tower House. During this time he took on a number of other commissions: Knightshayes Court, Tiverton, Devon; Church of Christ the Consoler, grounds of Newby Hall, Skelton on Ure, N. Yorkshire; St Mary's, Studley Royal, Fountain Abbey, N. Yorkshire
William Burges was born on the second of April 1881. His father was Alfred Burges, a civil engineer who specialised in marine engineering. Alfred Burges was apprenticed to James Walker with whom he worked and he in his turn trained Joseph Bazelgette, who masterminded the sewage system in London. Walker and Burges designed East Bute Dock, for the Bute Estate in Cardiff; the 3rd Marquess of Bute had not yet reached his majority. William Burges intended to follow in his father's footsteps, studying at King's College in 1839 and then engineering under Edward Blore. In 1849 he joined the office of Mathew Digby Watt, the special commisioner and secretary to the Great Exhibition of 1851. He also worked on Paddington Station with Brunel. However, he seems to have constantly been attracted to the Victorian whimsy of medieval craftsmanship and Gothic fantasy. At King's college he was a contemporary of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, they were both taught by John Sell Cotman and even when studying engineering with Blore he specialised in antiquarian draughtsmanship, Edward Blore was an advocate of the Gothic Revival. From 1849 to 1851 Burges worked for Matthew Digby Wyatt, the special commissioner and secretary to the Great Exhibition of 1851. Burges worked on the Medieval Court for the exhibition, he also contributed drawings of medieval metalwork to Wyatt's book Metalwork, published 1852. In 1851 he began to work with Henry Clutton, contributing drawings to his book; Remarks with Illustrations on the Domestic Architecture of France (pub 1853).
Burges began travelling widely in Europe following his research trips to France. In 1853 he stayed in Rome and the following year he travelled around Italy with George Aitchison who described Burges as "the most accomplished thirteenth century architect England had". Burges's travels in Europe became more adventerous taking him through Greece and into Turkey. His biographer, J. Mordaunt Crook, says Burges was susceptible to the "tug of distant places: the ancient world, the dark ages, the Far East".
Between 1854 and 1856 he worked on the restoration of the Chapter House, Salisbury Cathedral. During this time he became a partner with Henry Clutton, the partnership lasted for one year. In 1859 -62 he began work on The Great Bookcase, designed to hold his collection of art books. It would later sit in the home he designed for himself, The Tower. The bookcase was decorated with paintings representing Christian and pagan art by fourteen artists including Edward Poynter, Henry Holiday, Simeon Solomon, Rossetti, Albert Moore, Stacy Marks and Burne-Jones.
Burges's first large solo commission was for Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork. He arrived in Cardiff in 1865 and began work on the Castle in 1868. By the 1870s his work on Cardiff Castle was causing quite a stir. It had both popular and snob appeal and so was widely copied.Bute imposed the style that Burges established in re-modeling Cardiff Castle on all new buildings in Cardiff from town houses to terraces. In 1871 he began work on Park House for McConnochie, engineer, Cardiff Mayor and Bute stooge. In 1872 he began work on the reconstruction of Castell Coch and in 1875 his own home in Holland Park, The Tower House. During this time he took on a number of other commissions: Knightshayes Court, Tiverton, Devon; Church of Christ the Consoler, grounds of Newby Hall, Skelton on Ure, N. Yorkshire; St Mary's, Studley Royal, Fountain Abbey, N. Yorkshire
No comments:
Post a Comment