The Shell-Headed Niche Part 1: Rome, Renaissance, & Baroque

The Shell-Headed Niche Part 1: Rome, Renaissance, & Baroque

When I was researching Tudor and early-Stuart gatehouses in the central southwest of England, one of the common features that occurred was the shell-headed niche. The niche whether empty or filled by a statue becomes a significant architectural device in England from...
A WONDER OF THE 14th C: The Abbot’s Kitchen, Glastonbury Abbey

A WONDER OF THE 14th C: The Abbot’s Kitchen, Glastonbury Abbey

With the recent clear, cold weather of January, I visited Glastonbury Abbey to take photographs. I have been fascinated by the Abbot’s kitchen and wanted to reflect on its form and function. The building reminds me a Tudor or Early-Stuart conceit. A playful...
THE PANTHEON: Mastery of Roman Architecture & Engineering

THE PANTHEON: Mastery of Roman Architecture & Engineering

The 18th-century Grand Tour must have been exciting time for young patricians seeking to discover the ancient world first hand in Rome. If they could put aside the temptations of pleasurable diversions, then serious learning and procuring a collection were attainable....