Books by Vaughan Hart

A fresh look at the Eastern origins of Christopher Wren‿s architecture In this revelatory study of one of the great architects in British history, Vaughan Hart considers Christopher Wren‿s (1632‿1723) interest in Eastern antiquity and Ottoman architecture, an interest that would animate much of his theory and practice. As the early modern understanding of antiquity broadened to include new discoveries at Palmyra and Persepolis, Wren disputed common assumptions about the European origins of Classical and Gothic architecture, tracing these building traditions not to the Greeks or Germans but to the stonemasons of the biblical East. In a deft analysis, Hart contextualizes Wren‿s use of classical elements‿columns, domes, and cross plans‿within his enthusiasm for the East and the broader Anglican interest in the Eastern church. A careful study of diary records reappraises Wren‿s working relationship with Robert Hooke (1635‿1703), who shared in many of Wren‿s theoretical commitments. The result is a new, deepened understanding of Wren‿s work. Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

Examines the influence of magic on Renaissance art in the context of the first Stuart Court. Here artists sought to represent magic as an expression of the Stuart King's Divine Right, and later of their policy of Absolutism.

The diverse works of architect Nicholas Hawksmoor ranged from small architectural details to ambitious urban plans. This book presents a fresh view of Hawksmoor's built and planned work. It explains why his buildings look the way they do, what contemporary events influenced his work, and how such ancient buildings as Solomon's temple inspired him.