Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was a controversial artist, architect, and critic, born in London and later influenced by his French father into making architectural drawings of medieval and ecclesiastical buildings. He is credited with making significant contributions in the revival of the Gothic tradition (Russell). From 1835 until he died in 1852, Pugin was known for having designed over a hundred buildings, is the author of eight works, and creator of beautiful, decorative arts in the Gothic tradition. Thus, Pugin’s Gothic style found expression through architecture, authorship, and the decorative arts (Healey).
Pugin’s controversies stemmed from the fact that he was vehemently opposed to the Elizabethan or classical age where he mourned the loss of the medieval age. In this age, he argued, chivalry and moral harmony had declined. He thought the buildings in his country were ugly because of what he called city slums and factories that dotted the Victorian era. He was determined to use architecture to create a moral as well as a great Gothic country (Russell). Pugin wished for a technique that would speak of the nationwide culture and spiritual nature of England. Going back to the ancient practices of the Gothic architecture meant that his country would be retracing its steps back to a glorious past. In his eyes, the Gothic style was the true Christian indigenous style of Europe. The classical, pagan fashion of architecture belonged to the Greeks and the Romans. In fact, he classified it as alien (Price 109).
Pugin’s Architecture
According to Russell, Pugin was commissioned to design the church plate for St Georges’ Chapel at Windsor and being a skilled craftsman, he was engaged by two gentlemen, Morel and Seddon to furnish the new apartments at Windsor Castle. This was followed by his being employed to make alterations and additions to Alton Towers, the large home of John Talbot, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, in 1832. This led to many other commissions such as the St. Giles’ Catholic Church, which Pugin finished in 1846. His passion for the Gothic saw him build himself a house in 1835 in Alderbury which was named St. Marie’s Grange(Russell). When the Palace of Westminster went under flames in 1834, an architectural competition was constituted in which Charles Barry emerged the winner. Pugin was Barry's assistant at the time, and he was the one who created the drawings that gave the Palace of Westminster its Gothic characteristic. In fact, ‘Big Ben,' the famous Clock Tower, was designed by Pugin (Price109-111). The Palace of Westminster consisted of the monarchy, the House of Commons and the House of Lords which took the Gothic style. There’s controversy, however, as to whether rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster with a Gothic theme should be credited to Pugin. What is not in doubt, nevertheless, is Pugin’s contributions to the interior of the building such as wall coverings, tables, and inkwells (Price 118). The fact that the public approved the Gothic style on this vital construction meant that it had gained prominence as a worthy architectural contender in nineteenth-century Europe (Price 119). Pugin is also famous for designing more than a hundred structures most of which were churches which include a number of Roman Catholic churches like Liverpool’s St Ostwald’s and St. Chad’s in Birmingham. Besides churches, he also designed Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire. Later in life, Pugin moved from his previous residence and built a large house in Ramsgate, called St. Augustine’s The Grange, where he also put up a church by the name St. Augustine’s Church. There was no doubt that Pugin was a staunch Gothic at heart because he eventually designed Gothic tombs in his new home in Ramsgate where he would finally be laid to rest when he passed on in 1852 (Russell). One of the influences upon Pugin’s life that saw him advocate for a return to Gothicism was his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1835 where he became a staunch Catholic (Russell). Pugin asserted that the Catholic faith was the only one that deserved to be preserved in traditional Gothic architecture, "I feel perfectly convinced the Roman Catholic Religion is the only one in which the grand and sublime style of church architecture can ever be restored" (Healey).
Pugin’s Writings
Soon after his conversion to Catholicism, Pugin published Contrasts where he argued that it was the Reformation and Protestantism that was responsible for slowing down architecture(Price 120). In this controversial book, Pugin argued that the Gothic was the true European architectural heritage, not the classical(Price120), and that that the main classical way was, in fact, counterfeit and superficial and that it needed to be replaced by Gothicism, which would represent going back to the country’s genuine architectural form. Pugin was displeased with what he called materialism in the church and asserted that church had degenerated into a mere trade. Pugin castigated the then current church for what he called the lack of architectural focus (Price126). The book also contained contrasted drawings that pitted the beautiful, medieval, Gothic buildings of churches, inns, among others, against the early nineteenth century buildings he considered plain ugly. The prominent argument advanced in Contrasts was that only the Roman Catholic culture was capable of producing genuine Gothic (Price 126).
These arguments continued to find expression in his next book, True Principles of Architecture where he argued that true architecture must be legible. Being legible meant that there must be clarity about what the building entailed such as what it was made of, how the building appeared, its decoration, function, and the different parts that made up the building (Price130). He was making the noble argument that buildings were not just set up for their own sake. Rather, the ethical aspect of a building had to be observed. In fact, Pugin was deeply concerned about the most modest and essential rudiments of a building such as rivets, bolts, and nuts, which he thought contributed to the overall beauty and enrichment (Price 130). Contrast and True Principles of Architecture were not Pugin’s only works. His later works included An Apology for the Revival of Christian Architecture in England, Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament and Costume, and Floriated Ornament (Russell).
Pugin’s Decorative Arts
Not only was Pugin known for architecture, he also specialized in furniture and metalwork, fabrics and wallpapers. His creativity enabled him to make Gothic items of service in the Catholic liturgy such as vestments, candlesticks, and stained glass. At 15, he had already designed Gothic silverware and furniture for clients such as James Graham and Charles Barry whom he later worked under (Healey). In addition, he became enthusiastic about tradition rood screens even though this aspect of his creativity was not well-received by the Roman Catholic priests (Price 135). Pugin also made rood statues and altarpieces (Price 139). Earlier in 1834, Pugin had been requested by Charles Barry to assist with the fittings and metalwork for the House of Lords (Healey).
Conclusion
That Pugin made a significant contribution to revive the Gothic tradition cannot be gainsaid. He was driven by both spiritual and nationalistic goals to bring his beloved northern Europe back to where it had been. For him, this represented continuity from the old order. His influence did not end upon his demise because his architectural firm continued to impact the society through his sons. The firm saw the creation of more churches and other structures not only in Britain but also in other parts of Europe and the world such as France, the United States of America and Australia among others (Price110-111).
Works Cited
Healey, Caroline. Augustus Welby Pugin and the Gothic Revival. 2004, http://www.victorianweb.org/art/design/pugin/healey10.html, Accessed 24 May 2018.
Price, Carolyn. Tradition and Dissent. The Open University, 2008.
Russell, Niki. Pugin and the Gothic Revival. 2015, https://universityofglasgowlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/03/01/pugin-and-the-gothic-revival/, Accessed 24 May 2018.
