Charles Robert Cockerell (27 April 1788 – 17 September 1863) was an English architect,
archaeologist, and writer. He studied architecture under
Robert Smirke. He went on an extended
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tut ...
lasting seven years, mainly spent in
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
. He was involved in major archaeological discoveries while in Greece. On returning to London, he set up a successful architectural practice. Appointed Professor of Architecture at the
Royal Academy of Arts, he served in that position between 1839 and 1859. He wrote many articles and books on both archaeology and architecture. In 1848, he became the first recipient of the
Royal Gold Medal
The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture. It is gi ...
.
Background and education
Charles Robert Cockerell was born in London on 27 April 1788, the third of eleven children of
Samuel Pepys Cockerell
Samuel Pepys Cockerell (1753–1827) was an English architect.
He was a son of John Cockerell, of Bishop's Hull, Somerset, and the elder brother of Sir Charles Cockerell, 1st Baronet, for whom he designed the house he is best known for, Sezinc ...
, educated at
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
from 1802, where he received an education in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and the
Classics. From the age of sixteen, he trained in the architectural practice of his father, who held the post of surveyor to East India House, and several London estates.
From 1809 to 1810 Cockerell became an assistant to
Robert Smirke, helping in the rebuilding of Covent Garden Theatre (the forerunner of today's
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...
).
Grand Tour
![Templeofapolloepikouriosbassae](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Templeofapolloepikouriosbassae.jpg)
On 14 April 1810 he set off on the
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tut ...
. Due to the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
much of Europe was closed to the British, so he headed for
Cadiz,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
(
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
); from there he went to
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
, finally arriving in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
by January 1811. In Constantinople he met
John Foster (architect) who would accompany him on his tour. In April 1811 he was in
Aegina
Aegina (; el, Αίγινα, ''Aígina'' ; grc, Αἴγῑνα) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of the hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and ...
where he helped excavate the
Temple of Aphaea
The Temple of Aphaia ( el, Ναός Αφαίας) or Afea is located within a sanctuary complex dedicated to the goddess Aphaia on the Greek island of Aigina, which lies in the Saronic Gulf. Formerly known as the Temple of Jupiter Panhellenius, ...
(which he called the Temple of Jupiter), finding fallen fragmentary pediment sculptures (these are now in Germany), which he discovered were originally
painted.
[page 18, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] On 18 August 1811 he set out with three companions from
Zakynthos
Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Z ...
on a tour of
Morea
The Morea ( el, Μορέας or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used for the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the Ottom ...
, aiming for the temple of Apollo Epicurius at
Bassae
Bassae ( la, Bassae, grc, Βάσσαι - ''Bassai'', meaning "little vale in the rocks") is an archaeological site in Oichalia, a municipality in the northeastern part of Messenia, Greece. In classical antiquity, it was part of Arcadia. Bassae ...
in
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
.
[page 12, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] The magnificent
Bassae Frieze
The Bassae Frieze is the high relief marble sculpture in 23 panels, 31 m long by 0.63 m high, made to decorate the interior of the cella of the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae. It was discovered in 1811 by Carl Haller and Charle ...
that Cockerell discovered at the temple was eventually excavated and sold to the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
.
His tour continued visiting,
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
,
Argos
Argos most often refers to:
* Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece
** Ancient Argos, the ancient city
* Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Argos or ARGOS may also refer to:
Businesses
...
,
Tiryns
Tiryns or (Ancient Greek: Τίρυνς; Modern Greek: Τίρυνθα) is a Mycenaean archaeological site in Argolis in the Peloponnese, and the location from which the mythical hero Heracles performed his Twelve Labours. It lies south of M ...
,
Mycenae
Mycenae ( ; grc, Μυκῆναι or , ''Mykē̂nai'' or ''Mykḗnē'') is an archaeological site near Mykines in Argolis, north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece. It is located about south-west of Athens; north of Argos; and south of Corinth. ...
,
Epidaurus and
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...
returning to Athens. It was there that he met
Frederick North, who persuaded Cockerell and Foster to accompany him to
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
,
[page 14, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] setting off in late 1811, they travelled via
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...
, where North abandoned the idea, so Cockerell and Foster decided to visit the
Seven churches of Asia
The Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and the Seven Churches of Asia, are seven major Churches of Early Christianity, as mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation. All of them are located in ...
and visit
Hellenistic
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...
sites along the way,
the itinerary was:
Smyrna
Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...
,
Pergamon
Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; grc-gre, Πέργαμον), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greek city in Mysia. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on th ...
,
Sardis
Sardis () or Sardes (; Lydian: 𐤳𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣 ''Sfard''; el, Σάρδεις ''Sardeis''; peo, Sparda; hbo, ספרד ''Sfarad'') was an ancient city at the location of modern ''Sart'' (Sartmahmut before 19 October 2005), near Salihli, ...
,
Ephesus,
Priene
Priene ( grc, Πριήνη, Priēnē; tr, Prien) was an ancient Greek city of Ionia (and member of the Ionian League) located at the base of an escarpment of Mycale, about north of what was then the course of the Maeander River (now called th ...
and
Side
Side or Sides may refer to:
Geometry
* Edge (geometry) of a polygon (two-dimensional shape)
* Face (geometry) of a polyhedron (three-dimensional shape)
Places
* Side (Ainis), a town of Ainis, ancient Thessaly, Greece
* Side (Caria), a town of an ...
.
They arrived in Malta on 18 July 1812, where Cockerell was confined to bed for three weeks with a fever. By 28 August 1812 they were in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, where they stayed several months studying the chief Greek temples, drawing a reconstruction of the
Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Agrigento.
From December 1813 to February 1814 he was in
Syracuse, Sicily working on drawings for a projected book on
Aegina
Aegina (; el, Αίγινα, ''Aígina'' ; grc, Αἴγῑνα) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of the hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and ...
,
Phigalia
Phigalia or Phigaleia or Phigalea ( grc, Φιγαλεία or ΦιγαλέαSo in Polybius, '' The Histories, iv. 3. or Φιγάλεια or ΦιγαλίαSo in Pausanias), also known as Phialia (Φιαλία or Φιάλεια), was an ancient Greek ...
and the Bassae Frieze, he left to return to Athens where he continued work on the book, only to fall ill again on 22 August, he was still ill on 10 November, when he wrote to his sister.
On his recovery he continued his travels, in January 1814 he was in
Ioannina, where he had an audience with
Ali Pasha.
[page 15, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] Returning to Athens, before going on in May 1814 to
Zakynthos
Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Z ...
to attend the sale of the Bassae Frieze. Back in Athens he met an old school friend
John Spencer Stanhope and his brother, between August and October he was struck down by the fever again, but was well enough to attend a celebration of the anniversary of the
Battle of Salamis at
Piraeus
Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saron ...
on 25 October.
In December 1814 he returned to the Temple of Aphaea for a fortnight to check and correct his drawings. In a letter of 23 December 1814 he details his re-discovery of
entasis
In architecture, entasis is the application of a convex curve to a surface for aesthetic purposes. Its best-known use is in certain orders of Classical columns that curve slightly as their diameter is decreased from the bottom upward. It also may ...
, he enclosed a sketch for Robert Smirke of one of the
Parthenon
The Parthenon (; grc, Παρθενών, , ; ell, Παρθενώνας, , ) is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the goddess Athena during the fifth century BC. Its decorative sculptures are considere ...
columns showing its outline.
[page 17, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ]
Thanks to the abdication of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
in April 1814, the
Kingdom of Sicily and Rome were now open to the British, so on 15 January 1815 Cockerell left for
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
in the company of
Jakob Linckh, they visited
Pompeii and only reached Rome on 28 July.
The circle he mixed with in Rome included:
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres,
Antonio Canova,
Bertel Thorvaldsen,
Peter von Cornelius
Peter von Cornelius (23 September 1783, Düsseldorf – 6 March 1867, Berlin) was a German painter; one of the main representatives of the Nazarene movement.
Life
Early years
Cornelius was born in Düsseldorf. From the age of twelve he attend ...
,
Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow
Friedrich Wilhelm von Schadow (7 September 1789 – 19 March 1862) was a German Romantic painter.
Biography
He was born in Berlin, the second son of the sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow, who gave him his first lessons in drawing. He then turne ...
,
Heinrich Maria von Hess
Heinrich Maria von Hess (19 April 1798 in Düsseldorf - 29 Märch 1863 in Munich) was a German painter, a member of the Nazarene movement.
Biography
Hess was born at Düsseldorf and brought up to the profession of art by his father, the engra ...
,
Ludwig Vogel,
Johannes Riepenhausen,
Franz Riepenhausen and the Knoering brothers.
Writing to his father in August 1815 he said 'I should be out of my wits at the attention paid me here, I have an audience daily of savants, artists & amateurs who come and see my drawings; envoys and ambassadors beg to know when it will be convenient for me to show them some sketches; Prince Poniatowski and Prince Saxe-Gotha beg to be permitted to see them...'.
Much of his time in Rome was spent on preparing his drawings for publication. Writing to his father on 28 December saying he had purchased copies of
Domenico Fontana
Domenico Fontana (154328 June 1607) was an Italian architect of the late Renaissance, born in today's Ticino. He worked primarily in Italy, at Rome and Naples.
Biography
He was born at Melide, a village on the Lake Lugano, at that time joint p ...
's ''Della transportatione dell'obelisco Vaticano e delle fabriche di Sisto V'' and Martino Ferraboschi's ''Architettura della basilica di S. Pietro in Vaticano''. In 1816 Cockrell moved on to
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
. Cockerell was presented to
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
and was awarded the diploma of Academician of the
Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. While in Florence in early 1816 Cockerell produced a design for ''Wellington Palace'' for
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...
, it would have been in the style of
Greek Revival architecture on a scale to rival
Blenheim Palace, though in the end nothing came of the proposal. In June he suffered another bout of ill health. From Florence Cockerell continued his tour visiting
Pisa for a month, returning to Florence, he set out on 13 September for
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
,
Ferrara, then travelling by boat along the
Po to
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
where he stayed three weeks. From Venice, Cockerell visited
Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of ...
's buildings along the
Brenta (river)
The Brenta is an Italian river that runs from Trentino to the Adriatic Sea just south of the Venetian lagoon in the Veneto region, in the north-east of Italy.
During the Roman era, it was called Medoacus (Ancient Greek: ''Mediochos'', ''Μηδ� ...
and at
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
, passing on to
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...
and the
Palazzo del Te
or is a palace in the suburbs of Mantua, Italy. It is a fine example of the mannerist style of architecture, and the acknowledged masterpiece of Giulio Romano. Although formed in Italian, the usual name in English of Palazzo del Te is not that ...
,
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
, Milan,
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
and back to Rome from where he set off in March 1817 to return home via Paris.
Return to England
Cockerell returned to London on 17 June 1817, over seven years since his departure, originally the plan had been for a three-year Grand Tour.
[page 38, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] Cockerell set about preparing his drawings of Greek antiquities for exhibition at the Royal Academy.
Cockerell was living and working at 8 Old Burlington Street, it was owned by his father, where his office remained until 1830, he lived elsewhere on marrying in 1828.
[page 39, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] From 1832 to 1836 he rented as his office 34
Savile Row
Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...
(which was at the bottom of the garden of 8 Old Burlington Street).
Cockerell was a member of three
gentlemen's clubs:
Athenaeum Club, London
The Athenaeum is a private members' club in London, founded in 1824. It is primarily a club for men and women with intellectual interests, and particularly (but not exclusively) for those who have attained some distinction in science, engineerin ...
,
Travellers Club
The Travellers Club is a private gentlemen's club situated at 106 Pall Mall in London, United Kingdom. It is the oldest of the surviving Pall Mall clubs and one of the most exclusive, having been established in 1819. It was described as "the ...
(he was a founder member, 5 May 1819) and
Grillion's
Grillion's is a London dining club founded in 1812. It was founded by the British diplomat Stratford Canning as a meeting place free from the violence of political controversy. The club had no premises but met at Grillion's Hotel on Albemarle Stre ...
to which he was elected in 1822.
In 1819 he was appointed
Surveyor of the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral
The post of Surveyor of the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral was established in 1675. The role is an architectural one, with the current holder being responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the cathedral and its buildings. In the past, the rol ...
,
[page 222, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600–1840, Howard Colvin, 2nd Edition 1978, John Murray, ] where his works included the replacement, in 1821, of the ball and cross on the dome.
With
Jacques Ignace Hittorff
Jacques Ignace Hittorff or, in German, Jakob Ignaz Hittorff (, ) (Cologne, 20 August 1792 – 25 March 1867) was a German-born French architect who combined advanced structural use of new materials, notably cast iron, with conservative Bea ...
and
Thomas Leverton Donaldson
Thomas Leverton Donaldson (19 October 1795 – 1 August 1885) was a British architect, notable as a pioneer in architectural education, as a co-founder and President of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a winner of the RIBA Royal Gold ...
, Cockerell was also a member of the committee formed in 1836 to determine whether the
Elgin Marbles
The Elgin Marbles (), also known as the Parthenon Marbles ( el, Γλυπτά του Παρθενώνα, lit. "sculptures of the Parthenon"), are a collection of Classical Greece, Classical Greek marble sculptures made under the supervision of th ...
and other Greek statuary in the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
had originally been coloured (see Transactions of the Royal Institute of British Architects for 1842).
He was elected an Associate of the
Royal 'Academy on 2 November 1829,
[page 58, Masterworks: Architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts, Neil Bingham, 2011 Royal Academy of Arts, ] and an academician on 10 February 1836,
his diploma work being his design for the
Palace of Westminster competition.
In September 1839, he was appointed Professor of Architecture at the Academy, following the death of
William Wilkins. He won the first
Royal Gold Medal for architecture in 1848
[page 243, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] and became president of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1860.
In 1833, following the resignation of Sir John Soane, he became surveyor to the
Bank of England, and made additions to its London building, as well as designing branch offices in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
,
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
,
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, and
Plymouth.
His exhibits at the Royal Academy included reconstructions of ancient Rome and Athens and a
capriccio entitled "Tribute to the Memory of Sir Christopher Wren, being a Collection of his Principal Works"; these became well known through published engravings
As an archaeologist, Cockerell is remembered for removing the
reliefs from the temple of Apollo at
Bassae
Bassae ( la, Bassae, grc, Βάσσαι - ''Bassai'', meaning "little vale in the rocks") is an archaeological site in Oichalia, a municipality in the northeastern part of Messenia, Greece. In classical antiquity, it was part of Arcadia. Bassae ...
, near
Phigalia
Phigalia or Phigaleia or Phigalea ( grc, Φιγαλεία or ΦιγαλέαSo in Polybius, '' The Histories, iv. 3. or Φιγάλεια or ΦιγαλίαSo in Pausanias), also known as Phialia (Φιαλία or Φιάλεια), was an ancient Greek ...
, which are now in the British Museum. Replicas of these reliefs were included in the frieze of the library of the
Travellers Club
The Travellers Club is a private gentlemen's club situated at 106 Pall Mall in London, United Kingdom. It is the oldest of the surviving Pall Mall clubs and one of the most exclusive, having been established in 1819. It was described as "the ...
.
The
Royal Academy of Arts composed a brief commemorative biography of Cockerell, including the following sentiment which speaks of his great work as a student of architecture:
At the heart of Cockerell's emotional experience of the power of the antique to fire the imagination lay an extraordinary visual sensitivity to the mass and volume of the components of architecture, which for him were never mere abstract, weightless forms or quotations borrowed from the past, but acted together as a constantly renewable expression of man's innate need to create beauty on earth.
Architectural career
Cockerell had grave doubts about the wisdom of using
Greek Revival architecture in nineteenth-century England, in his diary of 1821 he had this to say:
Until the attention of the world was drawn to the study of Greece by the spirit of the last century by Barthélemy's Anacharsis & thence to the study of Greek architecture by the researches of Stuart & Revett architecture had for its guide this Country the Old Italian masters & their valuable commentaries & publications of the anc en arch tectur of Rome and Italy. No great enormities could arise under such guidance, but since the rage for Greek has been amongst us all the rules which formerly protected us are now set aside & we are at sea without compas ...we stick a slice of an anc en Greek Temple to a Barn which is called breadth & simplicity, than which nothing can be more absurd, as the Greek Houses were certainly of wood & brick & plaister icpainted & temporary things. I am sure that the grave & solemn arch tectur of Temples were never adopted to Houses, but a much lighter style, as we may judge by the vases, the object being space & commodiousness.
Cockerell's first building (1818–20) was in the style of
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of Medieval architecture in England and Wales, during the Tudor period (1485–1603) and even beyond, and also the tentative introduction of Renaissance architecture to Britain. It fo ...
, the brick building at
Harrow School, now known as the 'old schools' has twin
crow-stepped gable
A stepped gable, crow-stepped gable, or corbie step is a stairstep type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building. The top of the parapet wall projects above the roofline and the top of the brick or stone wall is stacked in ...
s. His next commission was the classical
Hanover Chapel (1821–25)
Regent Street, with its twin towers and projecting tetrastyle Ionic portico, later demolished (1896).
Personal life
On 23 March 1828 he proposed marriage to, and was accepted by, Anna Maria Rennie (daughter of
John Rennie the Elder) while strolling in the grounds of
Dalmeny House
Dalmeny House (pronounced ) is a Gothic revival mansion located in an estate close to Dalmeny on the Firth of Forth, to the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was designed by William Wilkins, and completed in 1817. Dalmeny House is the ...
, Scotland, she was twenty-five, and he was nearly forty.
[page 51, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] The engagement ring was bought for £27 10s 0d in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on 29 March and the wedding took place on 4 June 1828 in
St James's Church, Piccadilly
St James's Church, Piccadilly, also known as St James's Church, Westminster, and St James-in-the-Fields, is an Anglican church on Piccadilly in the centre of London, United Kingdom. The church was designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren.
Th ...
, the Bishop of London
William Howley
William Howley (12 February 1766 – 11 February 1848) was a clergyman in the Church of England. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1828 to 1848.
Early life, education, and interests
Howley was born in 1766 at Ropley, Hampshire, w ...
officiated.
The honeymoon started at
Liphook
Liphook is a large village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) west of Haslemere, bypassed by the A3 road, and lies on the Hampshire/West Sussex/Surrey borders. It is in the civil parish of Bramsh ...
, moving on to
Chichester
Chichester () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publi ...
, the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
, crossing to
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
where they toured the
Dockyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance ...
, and finally on 14 June
The Grange, Northington
The Grange is a 19th-century country house-mansion and English landscape park near Northington in Hampshire, England. It is currently owned by the Baring family, Barons Ashburton.
English Heritage have a guardianship deed on the scheduled monu ...
. The couple set up home at 87
Eaton Square
Eaton Square is a rectangular, residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is the largest square in London. It is one of the three squares built by the landowning Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgra ...
. In 1838 the family moved to Ivy House, North End,
Hampstead.
The first of their ten children, a son, Robert Charles was born in 1829 but died five years later, followed in 1832 by the second son John Rennie, a daughter in 1832, then in 1833 a son
Frederick Pepys Cockerell
Frederick Pepys Cockerell (March 1833, 87 Eaton Square, London – 4 November 1878, 66 rue François Ier, Paris) was a British architect. He was the second son of Charles Robert Cockerell, also an architect, whose favour for French architecture ...
who became an architect, followed in 1834 by Robert who became a soldier and died aged twenty in the
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma (short for Battle of the Alma River) was a battle in the Crimean War between an allied expeditionary force (made up of French, British, and Ottoman forces) and Russian forces defending the Crimean Peninsula on 20Septem ...
, then two more daughters and three sons, the youngest Samuel Pepys (1844–1921) would edit and publish in 1903 his father's travel diaries.
By 1851 Cockerell was in poor health and spent that summer recuperating at his sister Anne Pollen's house in
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
,
[page 244, The Life and Work of C.R. Cockerell, David Watkin, 1974, Zwemmer Ltd, ] from this time on his architectural practice virtually ceased. The family moved to 13
Chester Terrace
Chester Terrace is one of the neo-classical terraces in Regent's Park, London. The terrace has the longest unbroken facade in Regent's Park, of about . It takes its name from one of the titles of George IV before he became king, Earl of Cheste ...
, it was here that he died on 17 September 1863, aged 75.
He was buried in the crypt of
St Paul's Cathedral,
a perk of being the cathedral's surveyor, his marble tomb consists of his profile portrait, suspended from an Ionic column, surrounded by rich embellishment.
Freemasonry
Whilst in Edinburgh and working on the National Monument with fellow Freemason,
William Henry Playfair
William Henry Playfair FRSE (15 July 1790 – 19 March 1857) was a prominent Scottish architect in the 19th century, who designed the Eastern, or Third, New Town and many of Edinburgh's neoclassical landmarks.
Life
Playfair was born on 15 ...
, Cockerell was Initiated into Scottish Freemasonry in Lodge Holyrood House (St Luke's), No.44 on 18 May 1824.
Published works
Cockerell's published works include:
''Travels in Southern Europe and the Levant'', 1810–17 : the Journal of C.R. Cockerell, R.A. S.P. Cockerell Ed 1903
*''Progetto di collocazione delle statue antiche esistenti nella Galleria di Frienza che rappresentano la Favola di Niobe'', Firenza 1816
*'Le Statue della Favola di Niobe dell' Imp.eR. Galleria di Firenza situate nella primitiva loro disposizione da C.R. Cockerell'', Firenza 1818
*''On the Aegina Marbles'', Journal of Science and the Arts, VI 327-31
*''On the Labyrinth of Crete'', in Travels in Various Countries, Robert Walpole Ed 2 vols, 1817 and 1820 vol. II Pages 402–9
*''An Account of Hanover Chapel, in Regent Street'', in The Public Buildings of London, J. Britton & A.C. Pugin 2 vols, 1825–28 vol. II pages 276–82
*''The Temple of Jupiter Olympius at Agrigentum'', supplement to Stuart & Revetts Antiquities of Athens, 1829
*''The Pediment Sculptures of the Parthenon'', as part VI of ''A Description of the Collection of Ancient Marbles in the British Museum'', 1830
*''Plan and Section of the New Bank of England Dividend, Pay and Warrant Offices and Accountant's Drawing Office'' 1835
*''The Architectural Works of William of Wykeham'', Proceedings of the Archaeological Institute at Winchester, 1845
*''Ancient Sculptures in Lincoln Cathedral'', in Proceedings of the Archaeological Institute, 1850
*''Iconography of the West Front of Wells Cathedral, with an appendix on the Sculptures of other Mediaeval Churches in England'', 1851
*''Illustrations, Architectural and Pictorial of the Genius of M.A. Buonarroti with descriptions of the plates by C.R. Cockerell'', Canina 1857
*''Statement by Mr Cockerell on the Wellington Monument Competition'', The Builder XV p. 427, 1857
*''Address, Royal Institute of British Architects'', Session, 1859–60, 111–13, 1859
*''On the Painting of the Ancients'', in the Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal, XXII p42-44 & 88–91, 1859
*''Presidential Address, Royal Institute of British Architects'', Session, 1861–62, 1860
*''The Temples of Jupiter Panhellenius at Aegina and of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae'', 1860
*''Architectural Accessories of Monumental Sculpture'', in the Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal, XXIV p333-6, 1861
*''A Descriptive Account of the Sculptures of the West Front of Wells Cathedral photographed for the Architectural Photographic Association'', 1862
Architectural works
1820s
*1818–20 – Old Schools,
Harrow School, in Tudor Gothic, brick with stone dressings
*1819-36 –
Oakly Park
Oakly Park, Bromfield, Shropshire, England is a country house dating from the 18th century. In the early 19th century, the house was restored and extended by Charles Robert Cockerell, Surveyor to the Bank of England for his friend Robert Henry ...
,
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...
, remodelling work
*1820–26 – Loughcrew House, County Meath, Ireland.
*1821 – Tower and facade of St. Mary's church
Banbury
Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census.
Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...
, in classical style, the body of the church is by his father
*1821 – Library and Chapel,
Bowood House
Bowood is a Grade I listed Georgian country house in Wiltshire, England, that has been owned for more than 250 years by the Fitzmaurice family. The house, with interiors by Robert Adam, stands in extensive grounds which include a garden designe ...
, Wiltshire
*1821 – Hanover Chapel, Regent Street, London (demolished)
*1822–27 – The Saint David's Building,
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan) was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited ...
.
*1824–28 – Langton House, Dorset, (demolished)
*1824–29 – The
National Monument, Edinburgh, with
William Henry Playfair
William Henry Playfair FRSE (15 July 1790 – 19 March 1857) was a prominent Scottish architect in the 19th century, who designed the Eastern, or Third, New Town and many of Edinburgh's neoclassical landmarks.
Life
Playfair was born on 15 ...
, unfinished.
*1827-28 -
Newbridge Lodge,
Wynnstay
Wynnstay is a country house within an important landscaped park 1.3 km (0.75 miles) south-east of Ruabon, near Wrexham, Wales. Wynnstay, previously Watstay, is a famous estate and the family seat of the Wynns. The house was sold in 1948 and i ...
, North Wales
*1829 –
Church of Holy Trinity, Hotwells, Bristol.
1830s
*1831 – Westminster, Life and British Fire Office, London, (demolished)
*1835 – The
Bank of England, Courtney Street,
Plymouth.
*1836–37 –
Cambridge University Library
Cambridge University Library is the main research library of the University of Cambridge. It is the largest of the over 100 libraries within the university. The Library is a major scholarly resource for the members of the University of Cambri ...
, only the north wing of the
quadrangular
Quadrangle or The Quadrangle may refer to:
Architecture
* Quadrangle (architecture), a courtyard surrounded by a building or several buildings, often at a college
Various specific quadrangles, often called "the quad" or "the quadrangle":
North ...
design was built.
*1837 – London and Westminster Bank, City of London, (demolished)
*1838 – The Chapel,
Killerton
Killerton is an 18th-century house in Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, England, which, with its hillside garden and estate, has been owned by the National Trust since 1944 and is open to the public. The National Trust displays the house as a comfortab ...
, in a Neo-Norman style
*1838 – London & Westminster Bank, Lothbury, London (with
William Tite
Sir William Tite (7 February 179820 April 1873) was an English architect who twice served as President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was particularly associated with various London buildings, with railway stations and cemetery ...
).
*1839–45 – The
Ashmolean Museum and
Taylor Institution
The Taylor Institution (commonly known as the Taylorian) is the Oxford University library dedicated to the study of the languages of Europe. Its building also includes lecture rooms used by the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, Univ ...
,
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
.
1840s
*1840 –
Seckford Hospital, Woodbridge, Suffolk.
*1841 – Sun Fire Office, London (demolished)
*1844–47 – The
Bank of England, Bristol.
*1845 – The
Bank of England,
King Street, Manchester
King Street is one of the most important thoroughfares of Manchester city centre, England. For much of the 20th century it was the centre of the north-west banking industry but it has become progressively dominated by expensive shops instead ...
.
*1845–48 –
The Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...
, Castle Street, Liverpool.
*1848 –
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Vis ...
,
Cambridge University
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...
, designed the interiors after the death of the architect
George Basevi
Elias George Basevi FRS (1 April 1794 – 16 October 1845) was a British architect who worked in both Neoclassical and Gothic Revival styles. A pupil of Sir John Soane, his designs included Belgrave Square in London, and the Fitzwilliam Mus ...
.
*1848 – Bank Chambers, Cook Street, Liverpool (demolished)
1850s
*1851–54 –
St. George's Hall, Liverpool, designed the interiors after the death of the architect
Harvey Lonsdale Elmes
Harvey Lonsdale Elmes (10 February 1814 – 26 November 1847) was an English architect, the designer of St George's Hall, Liverpool.
Life
The son of the architect, James Elmes, he was born in Chichester. After serving some time in his fathe ...
.
*1855-57 –
Liverpool, London and Globe Building
The Liverpool, London and Globe Building is located in Dale Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It fills a block adjacent to the Town Hall, bounded to the northeast by Exchange Street East and to the southwest by High Street.
History
The ...
, Liverpool
Gallery of architectural works
File:Ashmolean_Museum_Entrance_March_2015.png, Entrance to the Ashmolean Museum
File:The Taylor Institute - geograph.org.uk - 556755.jpg, Taylor Institute, with Ashmolean Museum behind
File:St George's Hall Interior 21 Dec 2009 (16).jpg, Main Hall, St. George's Hall, Liverpool
File:St George's Hall, Liverpool (2).jpg, Main Hall, St. George's Hall, Liverpool showing Minton tile floor
File:Internal door st. george's hall.JPG, Internal door, Main Hall, St. George's Hall, Liverpool
File:St George's Hall Interior 21 Dec 2009 (22).jpg, Organ platform, Main Hall, St. George's Hall, Liverpool
File:St George's Hall Interior 21 Dec 2009 (25).jpg, Detail of floor, Main Hall, St. George's Hall, Liverpool
File:St George's Hall Interior 21 Dec 2009 (24).jpg, Organ, Main Hall, St. George's Hall, Liverpool
File:St George's Hall Interior 21 Dec 2009 (19).jpg, Court room, St. George's Hall, Liverpool
File:St George's Hall Interior 21 Dec 2009 (7).jpg, Court room, St. George's Hall, Liverpool
File:Saint George's Hall Liverpool chandeliers.jpg, Chandelier, Main Hall, St. George's Hall, Liverpool
File:Bank of England Liverpool.JPG, Bank of England, Liverpool
File:Bank of England building, Manchester.jpg, Bank of England building, Manchester
File:Holytrinityhotwells.JPG, Holy Trinity Hotwells, Bristol
File:HarrowSchool-OldSchools-20051113.jpg, Old Schools, Harrow School
File:Uwlsdb.jpg, The St David's Building at the University of Wales
, latin_name =
, image =
, caption = Coat of Arms
, motto = cy, Goreu Awen Gwirionedd
, mottoeng = The Best Inspiration is Truth
, established =
,
, type = Confederal, non-member ...
, Lampeter
File:St Mary's Church. Banbury - geograph.org.uk - 33931.jpg, St. Mary's Banbury
Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census.
Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...
File:Edinburgh National Monument.jpg, Scottish National Monument, Edinburgh, with William Henry Playfair
William Henry Playfair FRSE (15 July 1790 – 19 March 1857) was a prominent Scottish architect in the 19th century, who designed the Eastern, or Third, New Town and many of Edinburgh's neoclassical landmarks.
Life
Playfair was born on 15 ...
, unfinished
File:Bowood House Library.jpg, Library, Bowood House
Bowood is a Grade I listed Georgian country house in Wiltshire, England, that has been owned for more than 250 years by the Fitzmaurice family. The house, with interiors by Robert Adam, stands in extensive grounds which include a garden designe ...
File:Cambridge - Gonville and Caius College - 1048.jpg, Former Cambridge University Library
File:2008-06-26 Killerton Chapel.jpg, The Chapel, Killerton
Killerton is an 18th-century house in Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, England, which, with its hillside garden and estate, has been owned by the National Trust since 1944 and is open to the public. The National Trust displays the house as a comfortab ...
File:1 Dale Street 2018.jpg, Liverpool, London and Globe Building
The Liverpool, London and Globe Building is located in Dale Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It fills a block adjacent to the Town Hall, bounded to the northeast by Exchange Street East and to the southwest by High Street.
History
The ...
References
External links
*
*http://www.racollection.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?submit-button=search&search-form=artist/artist_month_may2005.html&_IXSESSION_=F1tc7cZXMh7
* http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/speel/arch/cockerel.htm
* http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0812735.html
Cockerell and the Grand Tour*
Antiquities of Athens and other places in Greece Sicily etc (London 1839). German edition ''Die Alterthümer von Athen'' from 1833, online at the University of Heidelberg*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cockerell, Charles Robert
1788 births
1863 deaths
19th-century English architects
British neoclassical architects
Archaeologists from London
People educated at Westminster School, London
People associated with the University of Wales, Lampeter
Recipients of the Royal Gold Medal
Presidents of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Academicians
People associated with the Ashmolean Museum