| Revision as of 06:32, 16 December 2008 editCitation bot (talk | contribs)Bots5,430,678 editsm Updating page numbers after recent improvement to Template:Cite book. Removed redundant parameters.← Previous edit | Revision as of 11:57, 16 December 2008 edit undoHans Adler (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers26,943 edits blatant meatpuppetry for user blocked by the Arbitrary Committee: updates from User_talk:Giano IINext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{redirect|Banqueting House|banqueting houses in general|Banqueting house}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| The '''Banqueting House''' is the |
The '''Banqueting House''' in London, England is the grandest and most familiar survivor of the architectural genre of ], and the only remaining component of the ]. The building is important in the history of English architecture, as the first clasical building to be completed in a style which was to transform English architecture. <ref>While the Queen's House at Greenwish is often referred to as as England's first Palladian building, it delayed completion was not untill 1635, some thirteen years after the completion of the banqueting House. Halliday, p149.</ref> | ||
| Begun in 1619, and designed by ] in the new ] style,<ref>Coppelstone, p. 835.</ref> it was completed in 1622 at a cost of £15,618, just 27 years before King ] was executed on a scaffold in front of it in January 1649. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | The building was controversially re-faced in ] in the 19th century, though the details of the original facade were faithfully preserved.<ref>William, p. 47</ref> Today, the Banqueting House is a national monument, open to the public and preserved as a ].<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=207615 |title=Images of England: Banqueting House |accessdate=2008-02-29 |publisher=] }}</ref> | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| ]]] | |||
| ] | |||
| ⚫ | The Palace of Whitehall was largely the creation of King Henry VIII, expanding |
||
| ⚫ | The ] was largely the creation of ] ], expanding an earlier mansion which had belonged to ], originally known as York Place. The King was determined that his new palace should be the "biggest palace in Christendom", a place befitting his newly created status as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.<ref>Williams, p 45</ref> All evidence of the disgraced Wolsey was eliminated and the building rechristened the Palace of Whitehall. | ||
| ⚫ | During |
||
| ⚫ | During Henry's reign the palace had no designated banqueting house, the King preferring to banquet in a temporary structure purpose-built in the gardens. The first permanent banqueting house at Whitehall had a short life. It was built for ] but it was destroyed by fire in January 1619, when workmen, clearing up after New Year's festivities, decided to incinerate the rubbish inside the building.<ref>Williams. p45.</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | An immediate replacement was commissioned from the fashionable architect ]. Jones had spent time in Italy studying the architecture evolving from the Renaissance and that of ] |
||
| ⚫ | An immediate replacement was commissioned from the fashionable architect ]. Jones had spent time in Italy studying the architecture evolving from the Renaissance and that of ] and returned to England with what at the time were revolutionary ideas: to replace the complicated and confused style of the ] English Renaissance with a simpler, classically inspired design. His new banqueting house at Whitehall was to be a prime example of this. Jones made no attempt to harmonise his design with the Tudor palace of which it was to be part. | ||
| == Architecture == | |||
| ] | |||
| ⚫ | The design of the Banqueting House is classical in concept, it introduced a refined Italianate ] style that was unparalleled in ] England, where Renaissance motives were still filtered through the engravings of ] ] designers. The roof is all but flat and the roofline is a ]. On the street facade all the elements of two orders of engaged columns, ] over ], above a high rusticated basement, are locked together in a harmonious whole. | ||
| The building is on three floors. The ground floor being a low and rusticated, its small windows, by their size, indicating the lowly status of the floor, above this is the double height banqueting hall, which externally falsely appears as a first floor ] with a secondary floor above. The seven bays of windows divided by ] ]s of the "first floor" are surmounted by alternating triangular and segmental ], while the windows of the "second floor" are unadorned casements. Immediately beneath the ], which projects to emphasize the central three bays, the capitals of the ] pilasters are linked by ]s in ] above which the entablature, crowned by a ] is supported by dental ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| In 1638, Jones drew the designs for a new and massive palace at Whitehall in which his banqueting house was to be incorporated as one wing enclosing a series of seven courtyards. However, ] who commissioned the plans never truly had the resources to execute them, his lack of funds and the tensions that eventually led to the ] intervened and the plans were permanently shelved. | In 1638, Jones drew the designs for a new and massive palace at Whitehall in which his banqueting house was to be incorporated as one wing enclosing a series of seven courtyards. However, ] who commissioned the plans never truly had the resources to execute them, his lack of funds and the tensions that eventually led to the ] intervened and the plans were permanently shelved. | ||
| The plans of the new palace reveal the ideas behind Jones' concept of Palladianism which is not apparently obvious from viewing the Banqueting House today as one entity. The plans show that it was intended to be one small flanking wing of one bay of a monumental facade. | |||
| In 1685 the Banqueting House became the first building in England to use ] in its windows. Later, in the fire that destroyed the old Whitehall Palace the isolated position of the Banqueting Hall preserved it from the flames. | |||
| As it was, architecturally, the Banqueting House was always be to be at odds with its surroundings, in January of 1698 the Tudor Palace was razed by fire, fire engines pumping water from the adjacent ] were unable to check the flames which raged for seventeen hours, after which all that remained was the Banqueting House and the Whitehall and Holbein Gates.<ref>Williams, p50.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| Following the fire, ] and ] were asked to design a new palace, however, nothing ever came of the scheme. It has been said that the widowed ] never cared for the area, but that had his wife ] been alive, with her appreciation of the historical significance of Whitehall would have insisted on the rebuilding.<ref>williams, p50.</ref> | |||
| == Interior == | |||
| The ] was originally designed as a drinking den for James I and a place where he could escape the rigours of public life. The King would come here to savour a glass of wine from his extensive cellars, or simply enjoy some private time with his favourite courtiers. | |||
| ] | |||
| Inside the building there is a single two-story double-cube room, the ceiling of which is decorated with paintings by Sir ]. These were commissioned by Charles I in 1635 to fill the panelling of the ceiling. Rubens's painting depicts the ] of ]. | |||
| == Architectural Legacy == | |||
| Unlike in the more southern European countries English architecture went through no period of evolution to classicism, through Jones it arrived, suddenly, and fully formed. Jones' interpretation and understanding of Palladianism was sufficient for him to take it a step further to the ] differentiating between the classical and mannerist components of Italian architecture. <ref>Coppelstone, p280.</ref> | |||
| Through Inigo Jones' work at the ] and the Banqueting House was to revolutionise English architecture, within a hundred years almost every English town and village was to have a building so influenced. A much copied feature, with varying amounts of success was the placing of pediments above not only the focal point of a ] but also windows. The motif of alternating segmental and triangular pediments, an arrangement of pediments never before used in England, had been employed by ] as early as 1550 at the ] in ]. <ref>Coppelstone, p.249.</ref> was much emulated, not only in London, but in the remote countryside by provincial architects such as at ] in ]. | |||
| ==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
| <gallery> | <gallery> | ||
| Image:Banqueting House |
Image:Banqueting House ceiling.jpg|Banqueting House ceiling painted by Sir ] | ||
| Image:Rubens_Banqueting_House.jpg|Detail of the central ] ceiling painting | Image:Rubens_Banqueting_House.jpg|Detail of the central ] ceiling painting | ||
| </gallery> | </gallery> | ||
| Line 34: | Line 57: | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| * | |||
| * at the '']'' | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ⚫ | == References == | ||
| ===Notes=== | ===Notes=== | ||
| <references/> | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ===Bibliography=== | |||
| ⚫ | == References == | ||
| *Williams, Neville (1971). ''Royal Homes''. Lutterworth Press. ISBN 0-7188-0803-7 | |||
| * {{cite book | | * {{cite book | | ||
| author=The ] | | author=The ] | | ||
| Line 49: | Line 70: | ||
| title=The Banqueting House Whitehall | | title=The Banqueting House Whitehall | | ||
| publisher=] | | publisher=] | | ||
| isbn=0-86056-106-2 | isbn = 0-86056-106-2 | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Line 58: | Line 78: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 11:57, 16 December 2008
The Banqueting House in London, England is the grandest and most familiar survivor of the architectural genre of banqueting house, and the only remaining component of the Palace of Whitehall. The building is important in the history of English architecture, as the first clasical building to be completed in a style which was to transform English architecture.
Begun in 1619, and designed by Inigo Jones in the new Palladian style, it was completed in 1622 at a cost of £15,618, just 27 years before King Charles I of England was executed on a scaffold in front of it in January 1649.
The building was controversially re-faced in Portland stone in the 19th century, though the details of the original facade were faithfully preserved. Today, the Banqueting House is a national monument, open to the public and preserved as a Grade I listed building.
History
The Palace of Whitehall was largely the creation of King Henry VIII, expanding an earlier mansion which had belonged to Cardinal Wolsey, originally known as York Place. The King was determined that his new palace should be the "biggest palace in Christendom", a place befitting his newly created status as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. All evidence of the disgraced Wolsey was eliminated and the building rechristened the Palace of Whitehall.
During Henry's reign the palace had no designated banqueting house, the King preferring to banquet in a temporary structure purpose-built in the gardens. The first permanent banqueting house at Whitehall had a short life. It was built for James I but it was destroyed by fire in January 1619, when workmen, clearing up after New Year's festivities, decided to incinerate the rubbish inside the building.
An immediate replacement was commissioned from the fashionable architect Inigo Jones. Jones had spent time in Italy studying the architecture evolving from the Renaissance and that of Palladio and returned to England with what at the time were revolutionary ideas: to replace the complicated and confused style of the Jacobean English Renaissance with a simpler, classically inspired design. His new banqueting house at Whitehall was to be a prime example of this. Jones made no attempt to harmonise his design with the Tudor palace of which it was to be part.
Architecture
The design of the Banqueting House is classical in concept, it introduced a refined Italianate Renaissance style that was unparalleled in Jacobean England, where Renaissance motives were still filtered through the engravings of Flemish Mannerist designers. The roof is all but flat and the roofline is a balustrade. On the street facade all the elements of two orders of engaged columns, Corinthian over Ionic, above a high rusticated basement, are locked together in a harmonious whole.
The building is on three floors. The ground floor being a low and rusticated, its small windows, by their size, indicating the lowly status of the floor, above this is the double height banqueting hall, which externally falsely appears as a first floor piano nobile with a secondary floor above. The seven bays of windows divided by Ionic pilasters of the "first floor" are surmounted by alternating triangular and segmental pediments, while the windows of the "second floor" are unadorned casements. Immediately beneath the entablature, which projects to emphasize the central three bays, the capitals of the Corinthian pilasters are linked by swags in relief above which the entablature, crowned by a balustrade is supported by dental corbel table.
In 1638, Jones drew the designs for a new and massive palace at Whitehall in which his banqueting house was to be incorporated as one wing enclosing a series of seven courtyards. However, Charles I who commissioned the plans never truly had the resources to execute them, his lack of funds and the tensions that eventually led to the Civil War intervened and the plans were permanently shelved.
The plans of the new palace reveal the ideas behind Jones' concept of Palladianism which is not apparently obvious from viewing the Banqueting House today as one entity. The plans show that it was intended to be one small flanking wing of one bay of a monumental facade.
As it was, architecturally, the Banqueting House was always be to be at odds with its surroundings, in January of 1698 the Tudor Palace was razed by fire, fire engines pumping water from the adjacent River Thames were unable to check the flames which raged for seventeen hours, after which all that remained was the Banqueting House and the Whitehall and Holbein Gates.
Following the fire, Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor were asked to design a new palace, however, nothing ever came of the scheme. It has been said that the widowed William III never cared for the area, but that had his wife Mary II been alive, with her appreciation of the historical significance of Whitehall would have insisted on the rebuilding.
Interior
Inside the building there is a single two-story double-cube room, the ceiling of which is decorated with paintings by Sir Peter Paul Rubens. These were commissioned by Charles I in 1635 to fill the panelling of the ceiling. Rubens's painting depicts the Apotheosis of James I.
Architectural Legacy
Unlike in the more southern European countries English architecture went through no period of evolution to classicism, through Jones it arrived, suddenly, and fully formed. Jones' interpretation and understanding of Palladianism was sufficient for him to take it a step further to the High Renaissance differentiating between the classical and mannerist components of Italian architecture.
Through Inigo Jones' work at the Queen's House and the Banqueting House was to revolutionise English architecture, within a hundred years almost every English town and village was to have a building so influenced. A much copied feature, with varying amounts of success was the placing of pediments above not only the focal point of a façade but also windows. The motif of alternating segmental and triangular pediments, an arrangement of pediments never before used in England, had been employed by Vasari as early as 1550 at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. was much emulated, not only in London, but in the remote countryside by provincial architects such as at Brympton d'Evercy in Somerset.
Gallery
-
Banqueting House ceiling painted by Sir Peter Paul Rubens
- Detail of the central Rubens ceiling painting Detail of the central Rubens ceiling painting
See also
Notes
- While the Queen's House at Greenwish is often referred to as as England's first Palladian building, it delayed completion was not untill 1635, some thirteen years after the completion of the banqueting House. Halliday, p149.
- Coppelstone, p. 835.
- William, p. 47
- Images of England: Banqueting House, English Heritage, retrieved 2008-02-29
- Williams, p 45
- Williams. p45.
- Williams, p50.
- williams, p50.
- Coppelstone, p280.
- Coppelstone, p.249.
References
- Williams, Neville (1971). Royal Homes. Lutterworth Press. ISBN 0-7188-0803-7
- The Department for the Environment (1983). The Banqueting House Whitehall. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 0-86056-106-2.