Week 12: English Renaissance

•  English architecture was the last to fall to the Renaissance
• Its ornamentation was the first indication of the change in style
• Some materials and locations focused on
• Stones of Cornwall and Devonshire which are very hard
• Large oak forests are in England so many roofs were made of timber
• woodworking skills and boat-building skills were seen often due to living close to the sea
• Tudor style
• officially marked the start of the Renaissance
• it focused on churches, official buildings, and furnishing programs
• visible signs of luxury and comfort included the fireplace                      Tudor Style house                                           Moderns Style Tudor House
• Furniture was sparse 
• 
                                   Settle Chair                                   Modern Settle Chair
  
• 
  
  
• 

     Gate Leg Table                                          Modern Gate Leg Table 
• Elizabeth Period
• Many manors and country houses
• Inigo Jones introduced Renaissance architecture to England
• His work relies on Italian Renaissance Architects Palladio
• 
                                            The Queen's house: Tulip Staircase
  
  
• Residential housing was smaller houses that were built outside of the walls of castles
• simplest had only one room
• Rooms were added with wealth
• Furniture was most popularly made with oak until walnut. 
• Cupboards were developed
• 
                                                                Wainscot Chair
• Jacobean Style
• Plaster ceilings and Paneling ceilings
• Furniture was less detail-heavy
• heavily carved
• melon bulbs were slimmed down
• added spiral turns
• added upholstery
• Dark wood paneling was used and is still used today in architecture
• Middle Renaissance
• Sir Christopher Wren developed a new standard for housing
• wall thickness, floor heights and materials were specified
• Started zoning and construction regulations
• Most renowned English Architect of all time
• Designed 52 churches and influenced other church designs
• St. Paul's Cathedral
• 

One Step Further: 

Bess of Hardwick, born Elizabeth Talbot in 1527, was one of the most remarkable women of the Elizabethan era. Rising from modest beginnings in Derbyshire, she became one of the wealthiest and most influential women in England through a combination of strategic marriages, sharp business acumen, and an indomitable spirit. Throughout her life, Bess married four times, each union elevating her status and wealth. Her final marriage to George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, made her Countess of Shrewsbury and placed her in the heart of Tudor court politics. Bess was also closely associated with Mary, Queen of Scots, serving as her custodian for many years during Mary’s imprisonment in England, a role that brought prestige and challenges.

Beyond her marriages, Bess is celebrated as a visionary builder and patron of architecture. She is perhaps best known for her magnificent creation, Hardwick Hall, an iconic Elizabethan mansion famed for its grand scale and extensive use of glass, earning it the nickname "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall." Designed to showcase her wealth and status, Hardwick Hall remains one of the finest examples of late Tudor architecture in England. Bess also oversaw the construction and renovation of several other properties, including Chatsworth House, which became the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Devonshire. Her legacy endures not only in her architectural achievements but also in her descendants, as she was the matriarch of a dynasty that shaped English aristocracy for centuries.