The architect of St Paul’s was first a master of the stars
In short: Before he became the definitive face of English architecture, Sir Christopher Wren was a celebrated scientist. His path from a young mathematician at Oxford to the Gresham Professor of Astronomy provided the intellectual foundation for his later work rebuilding over fifty churches following the Great Fire of London.
However, his architectural mastery was underpinned by a rigorous academic foundation in the sciences. Before he was an architect, Wren was a distinguished mathematician—a title that, in the seventeenth century, encompassed a vast range of disciplines including cosmology, mechanics, microscopy, surveying, medicine, and meteorology.
Wren’s academic career began in earnest in 1657 when he was appointed as the ninth Gresham Professor of Astronomy at the age of 25. Despite his youth, he was regarded by his contemporaries as one of the foremost scientists of the age, earning the personal praise of Isaac Newton. His appointment at Gresham College was facilitated by his time at Oxford, where he was promoted by John Wilkins, a mathematician whose personal connections to Oliver Cromwell's family likely influenced the move.
While at Gresham College from 1657 to 1661, Wren lived through the volatile transition from the protectorate of Richard Cromwell to the Restoration of King Charles II. During this period, he delivered weekly lectures in both Latin and English. Although most of these texts have been lost to history, his inaugural lecture survives today. This scientific background provided the intellectual framework for his later ability to navigate the complex economic, political, religious, and aesthetic factors required to reshape the city's religious landscape.
Wren’s ability to balance these diverse interests allowed him to transition from a scientist with a salary of £50 per annum to the primary architect of the City of London's reconstruction. His work serves as a testament to the era's belief that mathematical precision and scientific inquiry were the essential precursors to great aesthetic achievement.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Sir Christopher Wren and the Rebuilding of the City Churches - Dr Anthony Geraghty
- Also: Sir Christopher Wren and the Rebuilding of the City Churches after the Great Fire of London
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