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conchshell · 4 years ago

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I saw that post you reblogged about being obsessed about something and saw your tags about being obsessed with Victorian architecture and now I'm really curious about it. So, tell me anything and everything you know about it!!

You really don’t know what you’ve unleashed here. I could honestly talk for hours about the subject, so in an effort to rein myself in, I’ll talk about an architect who changed both the appearance and ethos behind architecture today within his short and fantastically bizarre life; Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812 - 1852), who I’ll refer to as ‘Pugin’ in this. Just to warn you, this is long 😂 although I have put some photos in there to break things up!

To first understand him, it is probably best to first delve into his unusual childhood. Born to free-spirited French refugee Auguste Pugin, and wealthy but austere Catherine Welby, his parents were 50 and 43 respectively when he arrived. Auguste was a draftsman, and with Catherine being the brains behind the operation, the two ran a drawing school out of the attic of their London townhouse. Auguste would regularly sneak out into the dead of night and climb up on the rooftops of public buildings, tying ropes around the waists of his students and lowering them through the rafters to study how the building was constructed. At one point they went to France and accidentally left a student behind. Whoops! (don’t worry, they went back to pick him up).

Pugin showed great promise from an early age, creating architectural designs aged 9, and going on to design furniture designs for Windsor Castle aged 12. He then tried to set up his own company, went bankrupt, and then spent time in a debtors' prison. Following his brief stint behind bars, he then tried to become a Sailor but failed miserably, after he was washed up on the Scottish coast and dragged out of the water by an elderly woman. It was there when he met Architect James Gillespie-Graham, who advised him to abandon sailing in favour of architecture.

Aged 19 he got his first professional job, designing the set of Kenilworth for the Royal Opera House (seen above). And it was there where he met the first of his three wives, Anne Garnet, a stage actress. She fell pregnant, they had a swift marriage, but then she died during childbirth. This was swiftly followed by the death of his father, and then his mother within a matter of months; and 19-year-old Pugin, alone with his newborn daughter, chose to devote his life to architecture to change the trajectory of his and his daughters' life.

Only he did more than that, as he also changed the trajectory of architecture, and the many buildings today (across the world) still show his influences. Pugin converted to Catholicism in 1834, a bold move in a society where discrimination against dissenters from the Church of England was rife. But despite his controversial move, people still contacted him to design buildings. At one point he was commissioned a wall and gateway to a college, but the decision was changed at the last minute as they didn’t want to be seen working with a Catholic. Unhappy with this decision, in the middle of the night Pugin and his men built the wall brick by brick under the cover of darkness - like some sort of guerilla building.

Considered one of the biggest advocates for a revival of medieval styles, Pugin threw himself into the lifestyle; he collected medieval books, studied medieval carvings, and he even dressed in medieval styles. His buildings were whimsical and fantastical, with gargoyles and asymmetrical designs, a stark contrast to the symmetrical and simplistic Georgian styles. But he didn’t stop there, he created designs for wallpapers (seen above), for fabrics, for jewellery, for locks and hinges and keys. If something could be designed, he would do it. It was during this period that his eccentricities began to become more apparent; he was prone to “hysterical moments” and would only work with a select few designers. The most famous of these partnerships was with a man called Herbert Minton, with Pugin persuading Minton to make him a particular type of glazed tile appropriate for his buildings. You’ve probably come across these types of tile before;

It was estimated that by 30 Pugin had built 22 churches, 3 cathedrals, 3 convents, 6 houses, several schools, and a Cistercian monastery. And it didn’t end there; alongside fellow architect Charles Barry, he won a competition to redesign and build the Houses of Parliament following its destruction in a fire. The building itself is a Classical base (due to Barry) with applied Gothic detailing, but it is in the interior of the building that showcases Pugin’s expertise. Sadly, due to his Catholicism, and anti Industrial-Revolution and slavery views, Pugin was noted only as a builder and was paid little for his work, with Barry receiving praise for the construction.

Already struggling with anxiety and depression, Pugin then would regularly see and hear things others couldn’t. He would frantically draw gothic designs, and would only eat foods shaped in the medieval pointed arch. Barry, struggling with demands for the Houses of Parliament, reached out to Pugin and managed to persuade him to design the Elizabeth Tower (known as Big Ben, pictured above). He designed it in a state of mania, and then swiftly fell into an episode where he didn’t recognise his own family. Against the wishes of his wife, he was forcibly drugged and restrained, being placed in the infamous Bedlam Royal Hospital under the listing of “mania without psychotic episodes”.

His third wife, Jane Knill, was the biggest advocate for her husband’s architecture. She fought hard to get his achievements recognised, and created a public petition for her husband to be removed from Bedlam and moved back home. Despite all odds she achieved it, but only a few weeks later he slipped into a coma and died. His funeral was attended by only a select few, and his name slipped from the history books. And sadly, he was swiftly forgotten.

Jane (pictured above with the black parasol, with her daughters-in-law) devoted the rest of her life towards recognition of his achievements, publishing his letters and correspondence, alongside his architectural drawings and contributions. Sadly he didn’t achieve recognition for his effects during her lifetime, but publications regarding him started appearing in the 1970’s. His work changed architecture across the world, and as an advocate against the Industrial Revolution and unfair working conditions, many companies changed their viewpoints towards child labour. His ‘Gothic Revival’ gave birth to the Arts and Crafts movement, and his designs for tall church spires were reused in the skyscrapers of the Art Deco periods. His contributions far exceeded architecture, and thankfully now, people are starting to see the importance of his contributions.

#Sorry for any spelling mistakes lol!#but seriously that's the edited edition #I could easily talk for hours on the subject because I love architecture SO much!#Augustus Pugin is criminally underrated #thankfully there are more and more books coming out about him now though!#Thanks for the ask - this was fun! 😁#feralnumberfive #asks

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toradata · 6 years ago

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Arquitectura SXIX.

Introducción: Fue una época e profundos cambios económicos, político, sociales e ideológicos. Encontramos una revolución industrial iniciada en Inglaterra que se difunde por Europa, extendiendo el capitalismo y la industrialización. En Francia tras la restauración de la monarquía y las revoluciones liberales, tomo el poder la burguesía llegando el fin del absolutismo y la sociedad estamental, difundiendo por Europa el liberalismo político y el nacionalismo. El desarrollo científico y tecnológico avanzo gracias a al industralización.

arquitectura y urbanismo: Encontramos la aparición y difusión de Historicismo y del Eclecticismo y por otro lado la explosión de la arquitectura que conocemos como “nuevos materiales”

1. Arquitectura historicista y ecléctica: En la primera mita del siglo XIX el Romanticismo pone de moda la recuperación de los estilos arquitectónicos del pasado. Prima una arquitectura representativa de su identidad nacional inspirándose en lo histórico. El historicismo fue la corriente arquitectónica que se inspira en los estilo del pasado e imita sus formas y elementos decorativos. El eclecticismo combina varios de eses estilos en un mismo edificio. Se siguio construyendo edificios neoclasicos pero al mismo tiempo los encontramos neorrenacentista, neoromanico, neogotico, neobizantino, neoislamico, neomudejar o incluso neobarroco.

De todos estos estilos el neogótico fue el mas característico por su simbolismo cristiano y sus connotaciones nacionalistas. Entre los grandes propagandistas encontramos a los arquitectos británicos Augustus Pugin y John Ruskin. Tambien destaca el frances Eugene Violet-le-Duc. Las obras mas relevantes fueron:

El pabellón real de Brighton. obra de John Nash. Se inspiro en la arquitectura india y destaca por sus cúpulas bultosas, torres y alminares. Utilizo columnas de hierro como elemento sustentante.

El parlamento de Londres, edifico neogotico de Charles Barry y August Pugin, considerado uno de los mas importantes de la arquitectura historicista decimononica. Se caracteriza por su gran extensión, su trazado simétrico y la riqueza de las formas neogóticas. Barry se encargo de la estructura y el ordenamiento mientras que Pugin se encargo de la decoración de las fachadas y del interior.

La opera de París, obra de Charles Garnier, puso de moda el neobarroco. Es un edificio monumental y lujoso, cubierto con una gran cúpula achatada y dotado de una fachada que combina arcos y dinteles, columnas y esculturas. La decoración recargada tanto exterior como interior oculta una estructura de hierro

España: Encontramos ejemplo en la segunda mitad del SXIX

Universidad Literaria de Barcelona de Elías Rogent (1821-1897), realizada en estilos neorrománico y neogótico

Biblioteca Nacional de España, en Madrid, obra neorrenacentista de Francisco Jareño (1818-1892)

La sede central de Banco de España, en Madrid, de Eduardo Adaro (1848-1906), también neorrenacentista

Las Escuelas Aguirre, situadas frente al parque del Retiro en Madrid, de Emilio Rodríguez Ayuso (1845-1891), en estilo neomudéjar.

2.Arquitectura de los nuevos materiales: Panorama arquitectónico de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX marcado por la pugna mantenida entre los primeros y los que veían nuevas posibilidades ofrecidas por los nuevos materiales producto de la industralización. Los arquitectos se resistieron mucho tiempo a estos materiales ligados a la industralización y no a lo artísticos. Por ello empezaron a usarse en partes que no estaban a la vista. Destacamos edificios como:

Crystal Palace, de Joseph Paxton, construido para la exposición universal de Londres. Era un enorme pabellón formado por una estructura de hierro recubierta de vidrio. Asombro no solo por sus grandes proporciones si no por la belleza de sus firmas. Estaba inspirado en los invernaderos y estaba construido por elementos prefabricados y montados.

Galería de las maquinas de charles Louis Dutert y Victor Contamin para la expo universal de París del 89. Era un pabellón ferro-vitreo de 420m de largo y 115 de ancho, con gran luminosidad gracias a su cubierta acristalada

Torre Eiffel de Gustave Eiffel para la exposición universal de paris del 89. Costa de 300m de altura y esta formada por piezas de hierro prefabricado. Mostro al mundo las posibilidades de los nuevos materiales. Tiene 3 pisos y todo su peso se apoya en cuatro enormes pilares inclinados y unidos por arras. Eiffel demostró que con hierro podía levantarse cualquier construcción. Fue la obra cumbre de los nuevos materiales

Sala de lectura de la biblioteca de santa Genoveva y la sala de lectura de la biblioteca nacional, por henri Labrouste. En esta ultima empleó arcos y columnas de hierro fundido para sostener las bóvedas vaídas con oculos de la cubierta. Estos materiales le otorgan ligereza y claridad al recinto .

Galeria Victor Manuel II. de Guuiseppe mengoni Es uno de los mejores empleo de las numerosas galería edificadas del periodo. Planta de Cruciforme formada por dos calles que se cruzan en un espacio octogonal central. La cubierta abovedada esta construida con hierro y recubierta de vidrio

En España lo mas interesante se construye a finales del siglo XIX, la estación de Atocha de alberto palacio y el palacio de cristal de velázquez bosco.

3. Escuela de Chicago: Tras el incendio que destruyo buena parte de la ciudad surgió un grupo de arquitectos que utilizaron el hierro colado y fundido para crear un nuevo tipo de edificio funcional, como fue el rascacielos. Este nuevo edificio se caracterizaba por su altura y al tener una estructura octogonal de pilares y vigas de hierro. Su aportación se debió a varios motivos:

La carestía del suelo que animo a aumentar la altura de los edificios.

a falta de tradición arquitectónica

la invención del ascensor

la edificación con estructuras de hierro que permitía suprime los muros de carga por o que no tenían que ser sustentantes

Los edificios tenían un fin funcional, almacenes, oficinas y viviendas. Los principales arquitectos fueron:

Louis Sullivan que trabajo asociado a Dankmar adler construyendo los almancenas carson. Destaca por su amplitud y numero de ventanas. Otra interesante obra de Sullivan es el auditorio de Chicago con forma cubica y sobria y la fachada llena de ventanas para la iluminación interior. Conserva detalles tradicionales como el muro de piedra, la cornisa moldurada y el juego entre vanos y arcos.

Henry Richardson autor de los almacenes Marschall Field

William Le Baron Jenney que diseño el home insurrance Building, de diez pisos.

Daniel Burnham y john Root autores del relience building

4. El modernismo: El art nouveau fue un movimiento artístico desarrollado en Europa que aspiro a una renovación de las artes entre 1890 y 191. Destinado a la clase burguesa por el alto coste de sus obras, que revaloriza la belleza de la producción artesanal frente a la producción industrial en serie. Se inspira en la naturaleza y por ello rechaza tanto la arquitectura ecléctica como la de los nuevos materiales. Uno de los principales teóricos y artistas de esta corriente fue William Morris., impulsor del movimiento Arts and Crafts, rechazaba el trabajo industrial y el maquinismo, consideraba que ahogaba la libertad creativa del artista. Entre las características de este estilo encontramos:

Concepción unitaria de las artes

La importancia de la decoración de los edificios a base de lineas curvas, de formas inspiradas en la naturaleza

Utilización de materiales tradicionales como el ladrillo, piedra o madera junto con nuevos materiales.

Gran importancia de la luz de penetra por ventanales y claraboyas

El empleo de algunos elementos historicistas tomados de la arquitectura medieval y oriental

Diferenciamos dos tendencias:

1. La organiza: Se basa en el uso de elementos decorativos y lineas curvas. Los focos principales los encontramos en :

Bélgica: Que destaca con Victor Horta autor de la casa Tassel donde usa el hierro como elemento decorativo y funcional a la vez. Se caracterizara por la importancia de elementos decorativos basado en lineas curvas. Apreciamos la utilización de diferentes materiales integrándolos todos en un conjunto armónico. La columna de hierro fundido tiene un fuste muy delgado y su capitel se ramifica con vástagos ondulantes, que sirve para sostener las viga. Destaca también el mosaico del pavimento, policromo que imita motivos curvilíneos o los peldaños de la escalera, también curvos. Los motivos decorativos inspirados en el movimiento Arts and Crafts. La casa del pueblo de bruselas fue la sede del partido socialista y considerada su obra maestra. Tenia una fachada cóncava acristalada y un salón de actos que destacaba por sus vigas onduladas de hierro y soportes inclinados del mismo material pero fue demolido en los años 60 del siglo pasado.

Francia: Destaco Hector Guimard que realizo varias entradas de metro en París, con marquesinas acristaladas sostenidas por estructuras de hierro y decoración de formas vegetales y curvilíneas.

España: El modernismo arraigo sobretodo el Cataluña gracias al desarollo industrial y la pujanza de la burguesía enriquecida. El principal representante del modernismo fue Antonio Gaudi. Tiene un estilo personal e imaginativo, con edificios cargados de fuerte simbolismo religioso y formas vegetales, animales, formas rocosas, fantásticas y elementos curvilíneo. Utilizo todo tiempo de materiales. Entre sus obras destacan:

La casa batllo, terminada en 1906 con una fachada de balcones que se asemejan a antifaces y un tejado curvilíneo. Esta decorada con azulejos policromos y su comisa esta alabeada

Casa Mila, también conocida como la pedrera su planta es asimétrica y curvilínea. La fachada es de piedra y tiene un aspecto ondulante a base de lineas cóncavas y convexas que simulan un acantilado . Los balcones son de hierro retorcidos, el tejado simula las huellas de las olas y sus chimeneas, decoradas con trencadis

La sagrada familia es un templo inacabado, símbolo del misticismo cristiano frente al materialismo de su época. Tiene planta de cruz latina con cinco naves y su alzado recuerda una catedral gótica. Su interior semeja un bosque donde las columnas se ramifican. La fachada es escultórica y delirante, reproduce figuras naturalistas de animales y vegetales junto a temas religiosos. los remates de las torres están decorados con cerámica de colores

El parque Guell donde combina formas arquitectónicas curvilíneas, decoración cerámica y arcos parabólicos, con zonas ajardinadas

Otras obras son el capricho (Cantabria) la casa vicens o la casa botines (león)

2. Tendencia racionalista o geométrica: Se caracteriza por las formas geométricas y las lineas rectas buscando la simplificación de volumen y la sobriedad decorativa. Los principales focos los encontramos en:

Gran Bretaña: Destaca Mackintosh con su escuela de Bellas Artes de Glasgow con edificios de formas geométricas, lineas rectas y decoración sobria. Grandes cristaleras en la fachada. Combina los muros de piedra con le hierro y el vidrio de la fachada

En Austria el modernismo estuvo representado por el grupo de la denominada Secesion vienesa. Destaca olbrich, Wagner y Hoffmann. Olbrich es el autor de la sezession de viena con volúmenes geométricos y coronado por una esfera dorada calada con adornos de hojas. Wagner realizo edificios funcionales, desnudos de decoración y volúmenes geométricos, anticipando la bauhaus y arquitectura racionalista. En Viena construyo las estaciones del metro de la que destaca la arlsplatz, la caja postal de ahorros y la saca mayolica

5. Urbanismo: Con las ciudades de grandes masas de población consecuencia de la industrialización y del éxodo rural, hizo necesaria la planificación y organización de los espacio urbanos . Se separaban los barrios según clases sociales, construir fabricas, estaciones, zonas verdes... Por ello las ciudades se ampliaron mediante ensanches al tiempo que los cascos históricos se re modelaron para hacerlos viables, se iluminaron las calles y construyeron cloacas entre otras. Las principales transformaciones urbanas se hicieron en parís llevadas acabo por Haussmann. Contemplo la ampliación de la ciudad siguiendo un plano ortogonal y reforma de centro histórico, creando grandes avenidas que mejoran el trafico y permiten el rápido desplazamiento del ejercito. Destaca la palza de la estrlla, con el arco del triunfo, que se convirtio en una enorme plaza donde parten donce amplias avenidas

En España la actuación urbanística mas importante fue el ensanche de Barcelona proyectado por Idelfonso de Cerda. Se hizo entorno al casco histórico. Para despejas el centro del ensanche trazo dos grandes avenidas en diagonal que se cruzaban en una plaza central, donde solo llego a construirse una, la avenida diagonal. Formaron manzanas cuadrangulares entre las calles.

Otro tuvo lugar en Madrid por carlos maria de castro que rodeaba el casco histórico en sentido radical siguiendo un plano ortogonal, diferenciando los barrios según clases sociales. El proyecto de Ciudad lineal de Arturo Soria consistía en grandes avenidas de mas de 40 m con edificios y zonas verdes a ambos lados de la misma. Pretendía crear un modelo de ciudad descentralizada pero bien comunicada

#arq #arquitectura #hda #pau #historiadelarte #SXIX

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andrew-bain · 2 years ago

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Viking Bay, Broadstairs . 20 August 2022

I leave it late in the day so the sun is side on to the promenade which is intriguing. I am hosting a short family holiday at a rather expensive Victorian villa close by the clifftop promenade in this charming Dickensian Kent resort . I have a misconception that the pseudo fort on the headland is the home of Pugin (co-architect with Charles Barry of the Houses of Parliament). It is not, but has the name Bleak House due to a rather tenuous link with Dickens. We are amused by one the of the numerous blue plaques stating " Dickens never stayed in this house".

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historyofid · 3 years ago

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Summary, Week 3

Lecture 3

Industrial Revolution -Existing, often ancient, technologies were updated by adding power, and a whole new era began. Steam and water power were harnessed, and cast iron was used to create machines of a size not seen before, allowing the ability to do things in repeat, on large scales. - Fixed steam engines allowed better manufacturing, and steam engines on wheels (TRAINS!) allowed a new kind of transportation to revolutionize travel and distribution. - A new era of extreme engineering (bridges, tunnels) was required to assist the advance of trains.

Power and Transportation: Huge technological advances brought to you by: - Abraham Darby at Coalbrookdale - cast iron (the folks I mentioned who got steam power going but don’t really get to be part of the story in any significant way are Christiaan Huygens, Denis Papin, Thomas Savery, and Gottfried Leibniz) - Thomas Newcomen/James Watts - steam engine - George Stephensen/John Stevens - trains - Marc Brunel - tunnels (and Portsmouth Block Mills before that) - I.K. Brunel - bridges and tunnels

Textiles: More evidence of extreme advances in technology and manufacturing as a result of combining technologies and adding power sources: - John Kay - flying shuttle - Eli Whitney - cotton gin - James Hargreaves - spinning jenny - Richard Arkwright - water frame - Samuel Crompton - spinning mule - Elias Howe/Isaac Singer - sewing machines

Farming: Advances in farming began turning food into a consumable commodity. Centuries-old methods were reexamined and improved with modern machinery and power. - Cyrus McCormick - mechanical reaper - Andrew Meikle, threshing machine (horse powered) - Jerome Case - mechanical thresher (steam powered)

Design: The new ability to manufacture in repeat, to create surplus, and to distribute goods lead to an increased opportunity to use design to make things that would satisfy the growing demand.

- The Crystal Palace/Great Exhibition of 1851 helped disseminate information, inspire designers, and introduce design to the world. It was a total confusion of manufactured goods, with no clear logic behind the decisions made in their creation. Machinery was also on view to help promote technological advances. And some remarkable things were mixed in as well (Michael Thonet’s steam bent wooden chairs!!) - Joseph Paxton - Michael Thonet - August Thonet

Arts and Crafts: The philosophers, writers, and artisans of the Arts and Crafts movement believed that industry and machine manufacturing created a world focused on consumption, which could not coexist with acceptable quality of life for the people involved in manufacturing consumer goods. They promoted a return to pre-industrial methods of making things, which celebrated craftsmanship and offered more satisfying work to laborers.

As the Arts and Crafts movement spread from England to other industrialized countries, it morphed into a style that still celebrated material integrity and honesty of construction and decoration, but had less and less to do with the ideals of the movement.

• You should know these folks: – William Morris – Charles Eastlake – the Wiener Werkstatte – Josef Hoffman – Gustav Stickley

• You might like these folks: – Koloman Moser – Charles Rennie Mackintosh (and Margaret Macdonald!) – Grueby pottery (and Teco, Rookwood, Roseville)

• You totally don’t need to know these folks but maybe you want to: – A.W. Pugin – C.R. Ashbee – Lewis Hine – Philip Webb – C.F.A. Voysey

Christopher Dresser: Working at the same time as all this but making things that were completely unique. Contract designer working in many materials for many manufacturers. Brought botany and Japanese influence into Victorian manufacturing.

#HOID

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met-drawings-prints · 7 years ago

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The Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashions, and Politics, 1st series, vol. 2 by Auguste Charles Pugin, Drawings and Prints

Medium: Illustrations: hand-colored etching, engraving, woodcut, and textile samples

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1942 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/399889

#themet #metmuseum #arthistory #augustecharlespugin

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recentlydigitizedesign · 7 years ago

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Drawing, Blue Interior, 1877

Drawing, Blue Interior, 1877. brush and watercolor, gouache and gold paint on white wove paper. Thaw Collection. 2007-27-68.

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene V. Thaw, who donated a significant collection of staircase models and related drawings to Cooper-Hewitt, are now proposing a promised gift of a splendid collection of 19th-century European watercolors of interiors. Among the largest group of this kind in private hands, 36 of these beautiful and informative drawings were displayed in 1992 at The Frick Collection which produced a handsome accompanying catalog, An Album of Nineteenth-Century Interiors: Watercolors from Two Private Collections. Since that time, Mr. Thaw has continued to add material to the collection, which currently numbers 86 drawings. In terms of countries represented, the largest number is from German and Austria, followed by England. This is not surprising, as the production and collection of these watercolors was most popular in these two regions, and the Hanoverian and English courts were interrelated. The remaining interior portraits are French and Russian, with single Dutch, Scandinavian, Italian, and American interiors. On the whole, these watercolors are not “before-the-fact” presentation studies that would have been executed for a client’s approval. Instead, they are snapshots of interior views; in many examples, people are shown inhabiting the spaces. According to Charlotte Gere, who prepared the 1992 exhibition catalog introduction of the Thaw collection, some interior portraits were executed in the late 18th century, but such drawings became very popular around 1820 with publications such as Thomas Hope’s Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (1807) and John Nash’s Views of the Royal Pavilion at Brighton (1826) in England; and with Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine’s Recueil des décorations intérieures (1801–12) in France. These and other books modeled on them created a fad for English, French, and Russian aristocracy to commission watercolors of their palace interiors for display in albums rather than for hanging on walls. Queen Victoria herself was an avid collector of such drawings. Many men and women in England and Germany became professional interiors watercolorists. Artists including Franz Xaver Nachtmann in Munich; Eduard Gaertner in Berlin; Rudolf von Alt in Vienna; Augustus Charles Pugin and Joseph Nash in England; and Auguste Garneray, François-Étienne Villeret, and Charlotte Bosanquet in France, are among the most well-known of the painters represented in the Thaw collection. A significant number of the Thaw interiors, however, were produced by amateurs, mostly women, who had studied watercolor painting and drawing with professional instructors as part of their middle- and upper-class education. M. F. Pearce, who may have executed the Thaw interior, Drawing Room at Brabourne Vicarage (and who was possibly the daughter of Rev. John Thomas Pearce, Vicar of Brabourne) would have been one such amateur. This drawing is part of a proposed gift that would undoubtedly be one of the most important donations to the museum’s department of Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design since the gift of the Henry Dreyfuss and Donald Deskey collections in the 1970s. The Hewitt sisters did not, as a rule, collect anything created later than 1825. For this reason, the acquisition of 19th century drawings has been high on the department’s acquisitions list. The Thaw gift under consideration would complement interior watercolors already in the museum's collection. The two most important of these, in terms of quality and significance, are the Frederick Crace & Sons drawing, Design for the Decoration of the Saloon, Royal Pavilion, Brighton, ca. 1815 (1948-40-25-a), and Apartments of Queen Elizabeth of Prussia in Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, 1864 (1957-98-2), executed by Elizabeth Pochhammer. Additional holdings include Russian Interior, 1858 (1953-145-1) by Andrej Redkovskj and View of a Morning Room Interior, 1820–25 (1938-57-66), by an unknown French artist. In addition, the Thaw collection of 19th-century interiors would further help to place other drawings and prints of furnishing objects as well as three-dimensional objects already in the collection within the context of a fully developed domestic interior. This proposed gift would not only enrich the collection and provide context for collection objects, it would also serve as a splendid resource for the graduate students in the Master of Arts in the History of Decorative Arts and Design program offered jointly by Cooper-Hewitt and Parsons The New School for Design. The watercolors show interiors as people used the furnishings on a daily basis, which is especially significant and useful for study.

http://ift.tt/2tXS0au

#Recently digitized objects from the collection of the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

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