• Skip navigation and go to content
  • Go to navigation

Norman Rockwell Museum

  • Visit
    • Hours & Admission
    • Directions
    • Exhibitions
  • Learn
    • Programs
    • School Programs
    • Curriculum Lab
  • Research
    • Norman Rockwell Collection
    • Archives and Library
    • Rockwell Center for Americal Visual Studies
    • IllustrationHistory.org
    • Frank Schoonover Collection Raisonné
  • Donate
    • Make a Gift
    • Become a Member
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Contact
    • Staff Directory
    • Norman Rockwell Museum e-newsletter sign-up
    • Careers
    • What's my Rockwell Worth?
      FAQ

Illustration History

  • History
  • Artists
  • Genres
  • Essays
  • Resources
  • Podcast
  • History
    • Time Periods
  • Artists
  • Genres
  • Essays
  • Resources
  • Podcast
Home > Artists > Christopher Wren

Christopher Wren

Born: October 20, 1632 | Died: February 25, 1723

Christopher Wren

Biography

Christopher Wren (1632-1723) was born in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, and later, moved to Windsor. He was educated at Westminster School and Oxford University. Wren showed an early talent for mathematics and enjoyed inventing things. His interest in architecture developed from his study of physics and engineering. In 1664, Wren was commissioned to design the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford and a chapel for Pembroke College, Cambridge; from then on, architecture was his main focus. In 1665, Wren visited Paris where he was strongly influenced by French and Italian baroque styles.

In 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the medieval city, providing a huge opportunity for Wren. He designed fifty-one new city churches, as well as the new St. Paul's Cathedral. In 1669, he was appointed surveyor of the royal works which effectively gave him control of all government building in the country, and he was knighted in 1673.

Wren's other commissions include the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, a hospital in Chelsea for retired soldiers, a hospital for sailors in Greenwich, Trinity College Library in Cambridge, and the facade of Hampton Court Palace.

Illustrations by Christopher Wren

Drawing of the West Elevation of St. Paul’s Cathedral, LondonPublic Domainhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/drawing-of-the-west-elevation-of-st.-pauls-cathedral-london
Map of LondonPublic Domainhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/map-of-london
East-West Cross Section of St. Paul’s Cathedral, LondonPublic Domainhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/east-west-cross-section-of-st-pauls-cathedral-london

Additional Resources

Bibliography

Bennett, J.A. The Mathematical Science of Christopher Wren. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1982.

Downes, Kerry. Sir Christopher Wren: The Design of St. Paul's Cathedral. London: Trefoil Publications, 1987.

Hutchison, Harold Frederick. Sir Christopher Wren: A Biography. London: Gollancz, 1976.

Jardine, Lisa. On a Grander Scale: The Outstanding Career of Sir Christopher Wren. London: Harper Collins, 2002.

Jeffery, Paul. The City Churches of Sir Christopher Wren. London: Hambledon Press, 1996.

Pevsner, Sir Nikolaus. Christopher Wren, 1632-1723. Milan, Italy: Electa Editrice, 1958.

Tinniswood, Adrian. His Invention So Fertile: A Life of Christopher Wren. London: Jonathan Cape, 2001.

Genres
  • Advertising
    • Corporate
    • Political and Public Service
    • Product
    • Self-Promotion
  • Books
    • Children’s Books
    • Cover Art
    • Interior Illustration
  • Cartooning
    • Advertising
    • Caricature
    • Political and Editorial
    • Sports
    • Spot
  • Comics
    • Comic Books
      • Manga
    • Comic Strips
  • Decorative & Applied Illustration
    • Info Graphics
    • Murals
    • Portraiture
  • Fantasy
    • Adventure
    • Fairy Tales and Fables
    • Mythology
  • Fashion
    • Advertising
    • Design
  • Graphic Novels
    • Fiction
    • Non-Fiction
    • Visual Memoir and Autobiography
  • Internet Illustration
    • Web Comics
    • Website Illustration
  • Magazine
    • Cover Art
    • Story Illustration
  • Moving Image
    • Animation
    • Concept Art
    • Storyboard
    • Video Game Design
  • Newspaper
  • Non-Commissioned Work
  • Poster
    • Event (Promotional)
    • Film
    • Political
    • Propaganda
    • Travel
  • Product Illustration
    • Album/CD
    • Calendars
    • DVD/VHS/Videogame
    • Greeting Cards
    • Packaging
    • Paper Dolls
    • Postage Stamps
  • Pulp Illustration
    • Pinup Art
    • Pulp Magazines
  • Science Fiction
    • Creatures
    • Outer Space
    • Technology
  • Technical
    • Anatomy
    • Archaeological
    • Architecture
    • Courtroom Drawings
    • Horticulture
    • Mechanical
    • Natural History
Global Perspectives
  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia
RELATED ARTISTS
  • David Macaulay David Macaulay
Related Time Periods
  • Renaissance Renaissance
  • Early 18th Century Early 18th Century

Support the Project

We need your help to keep this project alive and growing. How can you help?

Submit Work
Make A Donation
About The Project

Stay Informed

Join our mailing list to receive updates about this growing project.

Art Works. National Endowment for the Arts. arts.gov

This project is supported in part by an award
from the National Endowment for the Arts.

"The great band of illustrators have shown us to ourselves and I am proud to be among their company."
- Norman Rockwell

©Copyright 2020 Norman Rockwell Museum
9 Route 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262 | 413.298.4100
Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions |
Equity & Justice Commitment