I am not an admirer of Sir Christopher Wren. I would recommend anybody who is tempted to such admiration to read Howard Colvin's exposition (Unbuilt Oxford) of the total architectural illogic of his first design, the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford.
How happier a city London would be if the excuse of the 'Fire' had not been used to dynamite away its better bits of architecture. How much more beautiful a city, if the famous 'Elevation' which Inigo Jones designed for the West Front of S Paul's Cathedral had been completed and had survived. London would have had a Cathedral which sat comfortably in that great international family of majestic Baroque churches which includes or included the Gesu in Rome and San Ambrogio in Genoa. It was not until the Oratory Church was built at Brompton that our poor mean capital city acquired the dignity of such a worthy building.
One detail of Jones's design intrigues me. High up on his design, he includes the Sacred Name surrounded by a sunburst which, in my understanding, is a specifically Jesuit symbol.
Was Jones unaware of this?
I found the self-same emblem in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Episcopalian Church frequented by George Washington. It seems to have had a life beyond the bounds of the SJ.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting, and a question I have on occasion pondered. I am not sure this *was* an exclusively Jesuit this early, as it has become. One sees it on engraved plate, even with no obvious J connexion, including Anglican plate (see the V&A).
ReplyDeleteThere is I believe an amusing a parallel oddity at Wardour chapel, which was indeed under Jesuit influence (it was staffed by Society priests). The window about the altar had a golden Triangle surrounded by rays, later removed (one just sees the corners in the neighbouring panes of glass). It now contains simply an IHS within the rays. One suspects the original had the 'all-seeing eye" of God the Father, which later after the chapel was built, became by usurpation a Masonic symbol, and was presumably for this reason thus removed.
IHS in a sunburst was not used exclusively by the Jesuits. One interesting Calvinist variant is the crest of the Canton of Geneva, described in an official cantonal document as: Soleil d'or, figuré naissant, portant en cœur le trigramme de sable ΙΗΣ. What is particular to the Jesuits is the form with a cross issuing from the H and three nails below.
ReplyDeleteNicholas Rogers
When I was young, I read that, according to Archbishop Hughes of New York, "once you have seen St. Peters Basilica, St Paul's is fit only to be blown up by gunpowder". I took this to be a perfect example of Hughes' brand of partisanship and extreme rancor. Until I was actually in St. Paul's. It is somehow lacking in a way that is difficult to express. Beyond the fact that it is a sort of hall of fame to great members of the establishment, it is simply lacking in whatever makes a building a work of genius. It is a very good building, yes, but I am left with the feeling that it is not a great building. It would have been far better to re-build the old cathedral, but that had been built for other reasons, at another time. Essentially, St. Paul's is a monument to Protestant triumphalism. Cold and impressive, but without the feeling of being a Christian church.
ReplyDeleteDear Father,
ReplyDeleteSaint Bernardine of Siena preached peace to the Guelphs and Ghibellines, and so at his request, they took down the symbols of their parties and put up the IHS in the starburst in their place. St. Bernardine, pray for us.
I agree with Arthur Gallagher. Attending Choral Evensong I found the view dominated by the Choir Master's back, as he appeared to be trying to carve the music out of thin air. I got little impression of a service of worship. Quite untypical of the dignified choreography usually visible in Anglican cathedrals. A bad design because the chancel is too high above the congregation.
ReplyDeleteFilling the building with statues of the rich and powerful may not have been Wren's idea, it is certainly not appropriate.
There has been some speculation about whether Jones's Christian name was a version of Ignatius or merely Welsh.
ReplyDeleteEneko in Basque, rendered into Castilian as Íñigo was the baptismal name of the saint commonly known as Ignatius of Loyola.
ReplyDeleteThe postal code of Exeter Cathedral EX1 1HS.
ReplyDeleteI doubt if in assigning this the Post Office was greatly influenced by the Society of Jesus.
Technically Inigo the Spanish name is Basque "Eneko," my little one. Ignatius is the functional equivalent name for baptisms, just like Cornelius is the equivalent baptismal name for the Irish name Conal.
ReplyDeleteInigo Jones sounds like he has a Breton or Cornish name, almost.