Home
Talks
Building St Paul's: The Nation's Church
Building St Paul's: The Nation's Church
The Great Fire of 1666. Great swathes of London were reduced to rubble, including its cathedral. The idea of a replacement at such a moment of catastrophe was inconceivable for many. However, young architect Sir Christopher Wren -- a 'great geometric genius' -- not only imagined a new cathedral, but also a plan for the new city.
In this talk, Art Historian Sandy Nairne tours the resplendent architecture of St Paul's. Discover the extraordinarily complex feats of engineering Wren devised in order to erect the church's iconic -- and significantly weighty -- dome; all the while attempting to create a sense of open, light and graceful space.
Wren's edifice represented a new kind of openness for the many, and not just for the few. Over the centuries, St Paul's has become the splendid focal point for many of our national sentiments.
Time Period:
Various
Themes:
Sandy Nairne is a writer and curator based in London, and until 2015 was Director of the National Portrait Gallery. He has previously worked at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Arts Council and as one of two deputy directors at Tate.
His publications include State of the Art (1987), the anthology Thinking about Exhibitions (1996), Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners (2011) and 21st Century Portraits (2013).
He chaired the National Museum Directors’ Conference Working Group on Cultural Diversity, and is currently Chair of the Fabric Advisory Committee at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Art Advisory Committee for Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres and the Board of the Clore Cultural Leadership Programme. He is a Trustee of the Courtauld Collection and the National Trust.
Watch More
Watch More
6:49
Art & Soul at St Paul's Cathedral
Sandy Nairne explores how the art in St Paul's Cathedral captures changing ideas of spirituality.
1:10
1 Minute 1 Work: Dunham Massey, Bird’s-eye View from the South
National Trust curator David Taylor remarks on a ‘portrait’ of a prosperous country estate near Manchester.
11:53
The Outsider Genius: David Bomberg’s Self-Portraits
Art historian Richard Cork examines the psychologically charged self-portraits of this once overlooked artistic master.
6:49
Art & Soul at St Paul's Cathedral
Sandy Nairne explores how the art in St Paul's Cathedral captures changing ideas of spirituality.
1:10
1 Minute 1 Work: Dunham Massey, Bird’s-eye View from the South
National Trust curator David Taylor remarks on a ‘portrait’ of a prosperous country estate near Manchester.
11:53
The Outsider Genius: David Bomberg’s Self-Portraits
Art historian Richard Cork examines the psychologically charged self-portraits of this once overlooked artistic master.
4:56
Grinling Gibbons: The Carved Room at Petworth House
Marvel at the most spectacular surviving work by 17th century virtuoso craftsman Grinling Gibbons.
1:10
1 Minute 1 Work: Beautiful People
Curator Vincent Honoré reflects on David Wojnarowicz's final film, produced at ‘the climax of the aids crisis’.
9:17
Pisa Pulpit: ‘Judge by the correct law!’
Jules Lubbock solves the puzzle of how to read Giovanni Pisano's Pisa Pulpit.