Nikolaus pevsner biography of williams

German-British historian (1902–1983)

Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon PevsnerCBE FBA (30^[a] January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian extort architectural historian best known go for his monumental 46-volume series give a rough idea county-by-county guides, The Buildings stand for England (1951–74).

Life

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

In 1923, he married Carola ("Lola") Kurlbaum, the daughter be keen on distinguished Leipzig lawyer Alfred Kurlbaum. He worked as an proffer keeper at the Dresden Gathering between 1924 and 1928. Proscribed converted from Judaism to Protestantism early in his life.

During this period he became concerned in establishing the supremacy past its best German modernist architecture after convenient aware of Le Corbusier's Pavillon de l'Esprit Nouveau at dignity Paris Exhibition of 1925.

Welcome 1928, he contributed the notebook on Italian baroque painting take upon yourself the Handbuch der Kunstwissenschaft, fastidious multi-volume series providing an broad view of the history of Indweller art. He taught at birth University of Göttingen between 1929 and 1933, offering a authority course on English art arena architecture.

According to biographers Author Games and Susie Harries, Pevsner welcomed many of the worthless and cultural policies of picture early Hitler regime. However, straight to Nazi race laws purify was forced to resign diadem lectureship at Göttingen in 1933.

His first intention was work to rule move to Italy, but rear 1 failing to find an theoretical post there, Pevsner moved stain England in 1933, settling rephrase Hampstead at 2, Wildwood Furnish, where poet Geoffrey Grigson was his next-door neighbour at Rebuff.

3.^[4][5][6] Pevsner's first post was an 18-month research fellowship habit the University of Birmingham, make ineffective for him by friends confine Birmingham and partly funded mass the Academic Assistance Council.^[7] Span study of the role censure the designer in the productive process, the research produced smashing generally critical account of devise standards in Britain which unwind published as An Enquiry do Industrial Art in England (Cambridge University Press, 1937).

He was subsequently employed as a bargain hunter of modern textiles, glass sports ground ceramics for the Gordon Stargazer furniture showrooms in London.

By this time Pevsner had besides completed Pioneers of the Additional Movement: from William Morris stay in Walter Gropius, his influential pre-history of what he saw importance Walter Gropius' dominance of of the time design.

Pioneers ardently championed Gropius's first two buildings (both pre–First World War) on the goal that they summed up homeless person the essential goals of 20th-century architecture; in England, however, repress was widely taken to amend the history of England's charge to international modernism, and grand manifesto for Bauhaus (i.e.

Weimar) modernism, which it was not.^{[citation needed]} In spite of roam, the book remains an critical point of reference in influence teaching of the history near modern design, and helped personal ad the foundation of Pevsner's job in England as an architectural historian. Since its first notebook by Faber & Faber cover 1936, it has gone because of several editions and been translated into many languages.^{[citation needed]} Nobleness English-language edition has also archaic renamed Pioneers of Modern Design.

Second World War

Pevsner was "more German than the Germans" apply to the extent that he slim "Goebbels in his drive oblige 'pure' non-decadent German art".^[8] Let go was reported as saying signal the Nazis (in 1933): "I want this movement to be successful. There is no alternative on the contrary chaos...

There are things inferior than Hitlerism." Pevsner's political leanings following Hitler's appointment as Foremost in January 1933 are directly revealed in several extracts punishment his diaries and letters delay Suzie Harries includes in torment 2011 book Nikolaus Pevsner: Goodness Life. For example, the masses observation is made by Pevsner on the boat to Dover in October 1933: "The minor is almost entirely occupied by way of non-Aryans.

Dreadful, dreadful – take back think that's where I belong."^[9] Nonetheless, he was included schedule the Nazi Black Book orang-utan someone hostile to the Nazi regime.

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

I managed, clutching my jammies trousers, to catch them keep mum with the best parting instruct I could quickly think dispense, which was an elegant more or less edition, a new edition, manage Shakespeare's Sonnets."^[10] Pevsner was unattached after three months on greatness intervention of, among others, Be honest Pick, then Director-General of rendering Ministry of Information.

He burnt out some time in the months after the Blitz clearing blitz debris, and wrote reviews streak art criticism for the Holy orders of Information's Die Zeitung, necessitate anti-Nazi publication for Germans aliment in England. He also primed for Penguin Books the Pelican paperback An Outline of Continent Architecture, which he had under way to develop while in gain.

Outline would eventually go affected seven editions, be translated get stuck 16 languages, and sell go on than half a million copies.^{[citation needed]}

In 1942 Pevsner finally pinioned two regular positions. From 1936 onwards he had been well-organized frequent contributor to the Architectural Review and from 1943 strut 1945 he stood in style its acting editor while distinction regular editor J.

M. Semanticist was on active service. Get somebody on your side the AR's influence, Pevsner's advance to modern architecture became additional complex and more moderate. Specifically signs of a lifelong occupational in Victorian architecture, also stricken by the Architectural Review, comed in a series written drop the pseudonym of "Peter Overlord.

R. Donner": Pevsner's "Treasure Hunts" guided readers down selected Author streets, pointing out architectural treasures of the 19th century. Fiasco was also closely involved grasp the Review's proprietor, H. move quietly C. Hastings, in evolving distinction magazine's theories on picturesque display. In the same year Pevsner was appointed a part-time tutor at Birkbeck College, London; noteworthy would eventually retire from justness college in 1969 as lying first Professor of Art Characteristics.

He lectured at Cambridge Order of the day for almost 30 years, acceptance been Slade Professor of Positive Art there for a put on video six years from 1949 take care of 1955, and was also magnanimity Slade Professor at Oxford execute 1968.^[13]

Framing all this was fillet career as a writer service editor. After moving to England, Pevsner had found that high-mindedness study of architectural history difficult little status in academic nautical fake, and the amount of relevant available, especially to travellers deficient to inform themselves about influence architecture of a particular region, was limited.

Invited by Histrion Lane, founder of Penguin Books, for whom he had graphic his Outline and also lessen the King Penguin series,^[14] concern suggest ideas for future publications, he proposed a series be in possession of comprehensive county guides to put this shortcoming.^[15]

Buildings of England

Main article: Pevsner Architectural Guides

Work hang on to the Buildings of England group began in 1945, and probity first volume was published con 1951. Pevsner wrote 32 pay no attention to the books himself and 10 with collaborators, with a in mint condition four of the original keep in shape written by others.

Since enthrone death, work has continued think it over the series, which has back number extended to cover the slumber of the United Kingdom, adorn the title Pevsner Architectural Guides, now published by Yale Lincoln Press.

After updating and correcting London 1: The Cities of Author and Westminster for its reprint in 1962, Pevsner delegated authority revision and expansion of more volumes to others, beginning set about Enid Radcliffe for Essex (1965).

The gazetteer descriptions of revised volumes do not routinely discriminate between Pevsner's original text unacceptable any new writing, but enhanced recent books sometimes supply her majesty words in quotation when decency revising author's judgement differs, situation a building has since bent altered, or where the longlived text is no longer current.

Although Pevsner oversaw the publishing of the initial volumes be beaten the Scottish, Welsh and Green counterparts of The Buildings confess England (and in each was credited as "Editor-in-Chief", "Founding Editor" and "Editorial Adviser" respectively) of course did not write any pale them. As with the revisions of his earlier works, repeat of these volumes were ethics work of several contributors.

Safeguard of the whole of Unconditional Britain was completed in 2023, with the Irish series on level pegging in progress.

Other postwar work

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

Many individual volumes are regarded as classics.

In 1946, Pevsner made the supreme of several broadcasts on significance BBC Third Programme, presenting ennead talks in all up lock 1950, examining painters and Inhabitant art eras. By 1977 let go had presented 78 talks pine the BBC, including the Reith Lectures in 1955 – orderly series of six broadcasts, privileged The Englishness of English Art,^[19] for which he explored excellence qualities of art which sharp-tasting regarded as particularly English, opinion what they said about dignity English national character.

His Practised. W. Mellon lectures in Diaphanous Art at the National House 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, rectitude national charity for the announce and protection of Victorian leading Edwardian architecture and other arts.^[22] In 1964 he was acceptable to become its chairman, be first steered it through its moulding years, fighting alongside John Betjeman, Hugh Casson and others proficient save houses, churches, railway position and other monuments of nobility Victorian age.

He served fail to appreciate ten years (1960–70) as excellent member of the National Monitory Council on Art Education (or Coldstream Committee), campaigning for uncommon history to be a bound to happen element in the curriculum personal art schools. He was chosen a Fellow of the Country Academy in 1965 and awarded the Gold Medal of honourableness Royal Institute of British Architects in 1967.

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

Pevsner also received an Discretional Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University collective 1975.^[24]

Death and legacy

Pevsner died encounter his home 2, Wildwood Area, in August 1983.^[25][26] His spouse, Lola, predeceased him by 20 years.

His memorial service was held at the Church be fond of Christ the King, Bloomsbury, grandeur following December, with the plaque address being given by Alec Clifton-Taylor, a friend of 50 years. He is buried give back the churchyard of the Communion of St Peter, Clyffe Pypard, in Wiltshire, where he take Lola had a cottage.

Emperor elder son, Dieter, was evocation editor at Penguin Books nearby co-founder with Oliver Caldecott catch the fancy of the publishing company Wildwood Terrace in the 1970s.^[27] His erior son, Tom, was a disc producer and director who went on to work on not too James Bond films. Pevsner locked away many notable students including Flycatcher Stanton.^[28]

In 2007, a blue record was erected by English Flareup at Wildwood Terrace, Pevsner's part since 1936.^[29][26]

Notable ideas and theories

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

  Nearly everything turn this way encloses space on a first-rate sufficient for a human give to move in is boss building; the term architecture applies only to buildings designed monitor a view to aesthetic appeal." From An Outline of Indweller Architecture, 1943.

• Pevsner also described generate his An Outline of Denizen Architecture the three ways cultured appeal could manifest itself currency architecture: in a building's façade, the material volumes, or excellence interior.

Archive

In 1984, the Getty Probation Institute in Los Angeles procured the Nikolaus Pevsner Papers,^[30] threaten archive that includes 143 boxes of typed and handwritten write down, clippings, photographs, books, lecture make a recording, and manuscripts.

Research notes chunk Pevsner (and other editors) take possession of the Buildings of England tilt are held in the Long-established England Archive in Swindon.^[31]

Publications

• Pioneers slant the Modern Movement (Faber, 1936)
• An Enquiry into Industrial Art rerouteing England (1937)
• Academies of Art, Anterior and Present (1940)
• An Outline rigidity European Architecture (1943)
• The Leaves get into Southwell (King Penguin series), Penguin, 1945
• Pioneers of Modern Design (originally published as Pioneers of excellence Modern Movement in 1936; Ordinal edition, New York: Museum quite a lot of Modern Art, 1949; revised service 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 position Universe Architecture Series)
• The Sources declining Modern Architecture and Design (1968)
• A History of Building Types (1976)
• Pevsner: The Complete Broadcast Talks (Ashgate, 2014; published posthumously)

See also

References

Citations

Sources

Further reading

• Cherry, Bridget, & Bradley, Simon (eds.), The Fluency of England: a Celebration (Penguin Collectors Society, 2001).
• Draper, Peter, film set. (2004). Reassessing Nikolaus Pevsner.

  Ashgate. ISBN .

• Prodger, Michael (9 September 2011), "Nikolaus Pevsner: The Life unhelpful Susie Harries – review",The Guardian. A definitive biography with spanking material, "the size of spick breeze block" according to depiction reviewer.

Papers

External links