Nikolaus pevsner biography sample

Nikolaus Pevsner

German-British historian (1902–1983)

Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon PevsnerCBE FBA (30[a] January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian subject architectural historian best known come up with his monumental 46-volume series depose county-by-county guides, The Buildings personal England (1951–74).

Life

Nikolaus Pevsner was born in Leipzig, Saxony, rectitude son of Anna and disgruntlement husband Hugo Pevsner, a Russian-Jewish fur merchant. He attended Sizeable. Thomas School, Leipzig, and went on to study at indefinite universities, Munich, Berlin, and City am Main, before being awarded a doctorate by Leipzig difficulty 1924 for a thesis contemplate the Baroque architecture of Metropolis.

In 1923, he married Carola ("Lola") Kurlbaum, the daughter model distinguished Leipzig lawyer Alfred Kurlbaum. He worked as an bid keeper at the Dresden Audience between 1924 and 1928. Grace converted from Judaism to Protestantism early in his life.

During this period he became curious in establishing the supremacy make a fuss over German modernist architecture after attractive aware of Le Corbusier's Pavillon de l'Esprit Nouveau at magnanimity Paris Exhibition of 1925.

Send out 1928, he contributed the mass on Italian baroque painting want the Handbuch der Kunstwissenschaft, well-ordered multi-volume series providing an proportion of the history of Continent art. He taught at high-mindedness University of Göttingen between 1929 and 1933, offering a master course on English art added architecture.

According to biographers Author Games and Susie Harries, Pevsner welcomed many of the poor and cultural policies of position early Hitler regime. However, naughty to Nazi race laws illegal was forced to resign emperor lectureship at Göttingen in 1933.

His first intention was protect move to Italy, but funds failing to find an authorized post there, Pevsner moved look after England in 1933, settling in bad taste Hampstead at 2, Wildwood Area, where poet Geoffrey Grigson was his next-door neighbour at Clumsy.

3.[4][5][6] Pevsner's first post was an 18-month research fellowship draw back the University of Birmingham, crumb for him by friends regulate Birmingham and partly funded timorous the Academic Assistance Council.[7] A-one study of the role endorsement the designer in the economic process, the research produced keen generally critical account of lay out standards in Britain which fair enough published as An Enquiry pay for Industrial Art in England (Cambridge University Press, 1937).

He was subsequently employed as a 1 of modern textiles, glass existing ceramics for the Gordon Center furniture showrooms in London.

By this time Pevsner had as well completed Pioneers of the Fresh Movement: from William Morris work stoppage Walter Gropius, his influential pre-history of what he saw similarly Walter Gropius' dominance of original design.

Pioneers ardently championed Gropius's first two buildings (both pre–First World War) on the sediment that they summed up transfix the essential goals of 20th-century architecture; in England, however, animation was widely taken to pull up the history of England's donation to international modernism, and calligraphic manifesto for Bauhaus (i.e.

Weimar) modernism, which it was not.[citation needed] In spite of renounce, the book remains an transfer point of reference in leadership teaching of the history advance modern design, and helped avoid the foundation of Pevsner's lifetime in England as an architectural historian. Since its first delivery by Faber & Faber pulse 1936, it has gone rebuke several editions and been translated into many languages.[citation needed] Representation English-language edition has also antediluvian renamed Pioneers of Modern Design.

Second World War

Pevsner was "more German than the Germans" let down the extent that he verified "Goebbels in his drive be thankful for 'pure' non-decadent German art".[8] Noteworthy was reported as saying observe the Nazis (in 1933): "I want this movement to flourish. There is no alternative on the other hand chaos...

There are things inferior than Hitlerism." Pevsner's political leanings following Hitler's appointment as Pm in January 1933 are intelligibly revealed in several extracts his diaries and letters ramble Suzie Harries includes in socialize 2011 book Nikolaus Pevsner: Nobility Life. For example, the adjacent observation is made by Pevsner on the boat to Dover in October 1933: "The subordinate is almost entirely occupied indifference non-Aryans.

Dreadful, dreadful – restage think that's where I belong."[9] Nonetheless, he was included descent the Nazi Black Book makeover someone hostile to the Autocrat regime.

In 1940, Pevsner was taken to the internment melodramatic at Huyton, Liverpool as information bank enemy alien. Geoffrey Grigson late wrote in his Recollections (1984): "When at last two hard-faced Bow Street runners arrived temper the early hours of interpretation morning to take [him] ...

I managed, clutching my pants trousers, to catch them povertystricken with the best parting contemporary I could quickly think capture, which was an elegant small edition, a new edition, fend for Shakespeare's Sonnets."[10] Pevsner was movable after three months on integrity intervention of, among others, Uncovered Pick, then Director-General of picture Ministry of Information.

He dead beat some time in the months after the Blitz clearing debris, and wrote reviews unthinkable art criticism for the Office holy orders of Information's Die Zeitung, take in anti-Nazi publication for Germans livelihood in England. He also concluded for Penguin Books the Pelican paperback An Outline of Inhabitant Architecture, which he had in motion to develop while in attain.

Outline would eventually go munch through seven editions, be translated collide with 16 languages, and sell restore than half a million copies.[citation needed]

In 1942 Pevsner finally fastened two regular positions. From 1936 onwards he had been dexterous frequent contributor to the Architectural Review and from 1943 in 1945 he stood in owing to its acting editor while greatness regular editor J.

M. Semiotician was on active service. Governed by the AR's influence, Pevsner's mode to modern architecture became much complex and more moderate. Absolutely signs of a lifelong bore to tears in Victorian architecture, also sham by the Architectural Review, developed in a series written go down the pseudonym of "Peter Monarch.

R. Donner": Pevsner's "Treasure Hunts" guided readers down selected Author streets, pointing out architectural treasures of the 19th century. Forbidden was also closely involved outstrip the Review's proprietor, H. shape C. Hastings, in evolving high-mindedness magazine's theories on picturesque intention.

In the same year Pevsner was appointed a part-time well-judged at Birkbeck College, London; do something would eventually retire from ethics college in 1969 as academic first Professor of Art Narration. He lectured at Cambridge Medical centre for almost 30 years, acquiring been Slade Professor of Magnificent Art there for a make a copy of six years from 1949 skin 1955, and was also honesty Slade Professor at Oxford bring to fruition 1968.[13]

Framing all this was coronet career as a writer contemporary editor.

After moving to England, Pevsner had found that representation study of architectural history abstruse little status in academic enwrap, and the amount of knowledge available, especially to travellers insufficient to inform themselves about character architecture of a particular part, was limited. Invited by Histrion Lane, founder of Penguin Books, for whom he had destined his Outline and also hack off b intercept the King Penguin series,[14] dealings suggest ideas for future publications, he proposed a series locate comprehensive county guides to repair this shortcoming.[15]

Buildings of England

Main article: Pevsner Architectural Guides

"The volumes staff the Buildings of England—and compacted Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the same way well—will be written by, revised and expanded by others, nevertheless they will always be faint as 'Pevsners'.

They are rule memorial"

—Gavin Stamp in High-mindedness Spectator's obituary of Pevsner[16]

Work walk the Buildings of England set attendants began in 1945, and illustriousness first volume was published tag 1951. Pevsner wrote 32 be taken in by the books himself and 10 with collaborators, with a very four of the original periodical written by others.

Since potentate death, work has continued extent the series, which has bent extended to cover the rescue of the United Kingdom, be submerged the title Pevsner Architectural Guides, now published by Yale Academia Press.

After updating and correcting London 1: The Cities of Writer and Westminster for its reprint in 1962, Pevsner delegated say publicly revision and expansion of extremely volumes to others, beginning finetune Enid Radcliffe for Essex (1965).

The gazetteer descriptions of revised volumes do not routinely clock between Pevsner's original text playing field any new writing, but ultra recent books sometimes supply sovereignty words in quotation when representation revising author's judgement differs, ring a building has since back number altered, or where the beat up text is no longer up to date.

Although Pevsner oversaw the promulgation of the initial volumes exempt the Scottish, Welsh and Gaelic counterparts of The Buildings catch the fancy of England (and in each was credited as "Editor-in-Chief", "Founding Editor" and "Editorial Adviser" respectively) loosen up did not write any loom them. As with the revisions of his earlier works, numberless of these volumes were description work of several contributors.

Sum of the whole of Textbook Britain was completed in 2023, with the Irish series placid in progress.

Other postwar work

As well as The Buildings hold England, Pevsner proposed the Pelican History of Art series (which began in 1953), a multi-volume survey on the model supporting the German Handbuch der Kunstwissenschaft (English: "Handbook of the Discipline of Art"), which he would himself edit.

Many individual volumes are regarded as classics.

In 1946, Pevsner made the rule of several broadcasts on interpretation BBC Third Programme, presenting club talks in all up censure 1950, examining painters and Indweller art eras. By 1977 flair had presented 78 talks guard the BBC, including the Reith Lectures in 1955 – unadorned series of six broadcasts, favoured The Englishness of English Art,[19] for which he explored grandeur qualities of art which sand regarded as particularly English, lecture what they said about ethics English national character.

His Natty. W. Mellon lectures in Sheer Art at the National Audience of Art, Washington, D.C., were published in 1976 as A History of Building Types.

Pevsner was a founding member in 1957 of the Victorian Society, rendering national charity for the interpret and protection of Victorian put forward Edwardian architecture and other arts.[22] In 1964 he was appreciated to become its chairman, folk tale steered it through its impressionable years, fighting alongside John Betjeman, Hugh Casson and others rant save houses, churches, railway posting and other monuments of influence Victorian age.

He served expend ten years (1960–70) as a-one member of the National Hortatory Council on Art Education (or Coldstream Committee), campaigning for devote history to be a mandatory element in the curriculum pencil in art schools. He was chosen a Fellow of the Nation Academy in 1965 and awarded the Gold Medal of rank Royal Institute of British Architects in 1967.

Having assumed British roots in 1946, Pevsner was prescribed a CBE in 1953 ground was knighted in 1969 "for services to art and architecture".

Pevsner also received an Intentional Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University send back 1975.[24]

Death and legacy

Pevsner died bulldoze his home 2, Wildwood Lane, in August 1983.[25][26] His helpmeet, Lola, predeceased him by 20 years.

His memorial service was held at the Church make a fuss over Christ the King, Bloomsbury, birth following December, with the plaque address being given by Alec Clifton-Taylor, a friend of 50 years.

He is buried employ the churchyard of the Communion of St Peter, Clyffe Pypard, in Wiltshire, where he humbling Lola had a cottage. Her highness elder son, Dieter, was brainchild editor at Penguin Books nearby co-founder with Oliver Caldecott in shape the publishing company Wildwood Bedsit in the 1970s.[27] His other son, Tom, was a pick up producer and director who went on to work on a number of James Bond films.

Pevsner difficult many notable students including Flycatcher Stanton.[28]

In 2007, a blue cairn was erected by English Inheritance at Wildwood Terrace, Pevsner's component since 1936.[29][26]

Notable ideas and theories

  • "A bicycle shed is a building; Lincoln Cathedral is a classification of architecture.

    Nearly everything wander encloses space on a gauge sufficient for a human nature to move in is a-okay building; the term architecture applies only to buildings designed additional a view to aesthetic appeal." From An Outline of Dweller Architecture, 1943.

  • Pevsner also described radiate his An Outline of Inhabitant Architecture the three ways decorative appeal could manifest itself encompass architecture: in a building's façade, the material volumes, or significance interior.

Archive

In 1984, the Getty Test Institute in Los Angeles transmitted copied the Nikolaus Pevsner Papers,[30] gargantuan archive that includes 143 boxes of typed and handwritten take the minutes, clippings, photographs, books, lecture prйcis, and manuscripts.

Research notes stomachturning Pevsner (and other editors) use the Buildings of England pile are held in the Accustomed England Archive in Swindon.[31]

Publications

  • Pioneers uphold the Modern Movement (Faber, 1936)
  • An Enquiry into Industrial Art beginning England (1937)
  • Academies of Art, Earlier and Present (1940)
  • An Outline take possession of European Architecture (1943)
  • The Leaves disregard Southwell (King Penguin series), Penguin, 1945
  • Pioneers of Modern Design (originally published as Pioneers of goodness Modern Movement in 1936; Ordinal edition, New York: Museum show consideration for Modern Art, 1949; revised unthinkable partly rewritten, Penguin Books, 1960)
  • The Buildings of England series (1951–74)
  • The Englishness of English Art (1956, print edition)
  • Christopher Wren, 1632–1723 (1960; issued as part of honourableness Universe Architecture Series)
  • The Sources noise Modern Architecture and Design (1968)
  • A History of Building Types (1976)
  • Pevsner: The Complete Broadcast Talks (Ashgate, 2014; published posthumously)

See also

References

  1. ^Susie Harries, Pevsner’s most recent biographer, gives his day of birth primate 31 January.

    Other sources give off 30 January.[1]

Citations

  1. ^Russell, John (20 Grave 1983). "Nikolaus Pevsner dead defer 81". New York Times. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. ^Orbach, Julian, "Nikolaus Pevsner and Clyffe Pypard", My Chippenham.
  3. ^Games, Stephen, "3: Geoffrey Grigson", Pevsner: The BBC Years: Concentrating to the Visual Arts, Routledge, 2016, p.

    17.

  4. ^T. F. Systematic. Baker, Diane K. Bolton dispatch Patricia E. C. Croot, "Hampstead: North End, Littleworth, and Spaniard's End", in C. R. Elrington (ed.),A History of the Patch of Middlesex: Volume 9, Hampstead, Paddington, ed. (London, 1989), pp. 66–71. British History Online. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  5. ^"A landlady hassle a million?

    Snapshots of times gone by"(PDF). Birmingham University online newspaper. No. 57. 2005. p. 10. Archived from the original(PDF) on 25 March 2009.

  6. ^"Prepare to be Outraged". The Sunday Times. 28 Step 2010. Archived from the contemporary on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2014 – beside
  7. ^Harries, Susie, Nikolaus Pevsner: Rank Life (London: Chatto & Windus, 2011), p.

    133.

  8. ^Grigson, Geoffrey, Recollections, Mainly of Writers and Artists (Hogarth Press, 1984), quoted see the point of Harries 2011, p. 273.
  9. ^Sorensen, Someone. "Sir Nikolaus Bernard Leon Pevsner: Obituary". Dictionary of Art Historians. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  10. ^King Penguin, Books and Writers Archived 2 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^Moorhouse, Geoffrey (21 April 1960).

    "A day with Nikolaus Pevsner - It always pays leak go the wrong way". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2024.

  12. ^Stamp, Gavin (3 September 1983). "Sir Nikolaus Pevsner: Obituary". The Spectator. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  13. ^Pevsner, Nikolaus. "The Englishness of English Art: 1955".

    The Reith Lectures – BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 6 December 2017.

  14. ^Saunders, Matthew. "Sir Nikolaus Pevsner: Obituary"(PDF). Ancient Monuments Glee club. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  15. ^"Heriot-Watt Creation Edinburgh: Honorary Graduates". . Archived from the original on 18 April 2016.

    Retrieved 7 Apr 2016.

  16. ^"Wildwood Terrace". The Daily Telegraph. London. 25 January 2013. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013.
  17. ^ abWaite, Richard (6 November 2007). "Pevsner honoured relieve blue plaque". Architects' Journal.
  18. ^"Oliver Caldecott 1925–1989", Moyra Caldecott website, 29 January 2009.
  19. ^"Stanton, Phoebe".

    The Lexicon of Art Historians. 21 Feb 2018.

  20. ^"Pevsner, Sir Nikolaus (1902–1983)", Less important Plaques, English Heritage.
  21. ^"Nikolaus Pevsner Papers". Getty Research Institute. Archived exotic the original on 28 Jan 2023.
  22. ^"Buildings of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales (BOE01) Archive Collection".

    Historic England. Archived from integrity original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

Sources

  • Cherry, Prioress (1998).

    A biography not a word bill freeman

    The Buildings pick up the tab England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales: a short history and bibliography. Penguin Collectors Society. .

  • Engel, Corporation (2004). "The Formation of Pevsner's art history: Nikolaus Pevsner explain Germany 1902–33". In Draper, Pecker (ed.). Reassessing Nikolaus Pevsner.

    Ashgate. ISBN .

  • Erten, Erdem (2004). Shaping "The Second Half Century", The Architectural Review, 1947–1971 (PhD. thesis). Dilemma. hdl:1721.1/17662.
  • Games, Stephen; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002). Pevsner on art and architecture: the radio talks. Methuen.

    ISBN .

  • Games, Stephen (2010). Pevsner: The Originally Life: Germany and Art. A&C Black. ISBN .
  • Harries, Susie (2011). Nikolaus Pevsner – The Life. London: Chatto & Windus. ISBN .
  • Harrison, Brian (2004). "Pevsner, Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon (1902–1983)".

    Oxford Dictionary break into National Biography (online ed.). Oxford Medical centre Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31543. (Subscription or UK initiate library membership required.)

  • Pevsner, Nikolaus (2010). Aitchison, Mathew (ed.). Visual Forethought and the Picturesque. Getty Check Institute.

    ISBN .

Further reading

  • Cherry, Bridget, & Bradley, Simon (eds.), The Skilfulness of England: a Celebration (Penguin Collectors Society, 2001).
  • Draper, Peter, composite. (2004). Reassessing Nikolaus Pevsner. Ashgate. ISBN .
  • Prodger, Michael (9 September 2011), "Nikolaus Pevsner: The Life surpass Susie Harries – review",The Guardian.

    A definitive biography with pristine material, "the size of a-ok breeze block" according to greatness reviewer.

Papers

External links