new st paul's physical features, monuments and art

Great Dome local and national significance

• added approximately 67m of height to new St Paul’s

• made new St Paul’s the tallest building in London 1710-1967

  • St Paul’s remains the 2nd largest church in the UK

• reflects changing societal attitudes to ornamentation and Catholic inspiration within the religious building

• the dome made St Paul’s an imposing building on the London skyline, promoting its physical significance within the city

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• initially separated from the dome and the nave

• since 1697, the quire was used for daily services, worship and celebration

describe the West Front and West Towers

• main entrance to St Paul’s

• dominated by a triangular relief depicting the conversion of St Paul to Christianity

  • the effigy of St Paul is flanked by other apostles and 4 Evangelists

• created by Francis Bird (1718-1721) who was greatly influenced by church architecture in Rome

  • Bird also carved the statue of Queen Anne in front of St Paul’s (reigning monarch at the time)

    • connotes the inherent link between the site and the monarchy - national significance

• West Front is similar to Inigo Jones’ Western Portico in the 1630s

describe the paintings on the ceiling in new St Paul’s

• paintings on the ceiling are now far more richly decorated now than they were originally in the 18th century

• demonstrates national shift in religious attitudes in Britain - from conservative, austere, anti-popery to a more ornate, richly-decorative style

  • this reflected Queen Victoria’s own view, as she commented that St Paul’s was “dark, dingy and undevotional”

describe the crypt in new St Paul’s

• the crypt has become a national and imperial pantheon

• the crypt contains the tombs of Admiral Nelson, Wellington and Christopher Wren

  • national significance as it promotes British imperialism in the 19th and 20th centuries

• crypt also contains numerous tombs and memorials of artists, scientists and musicians

  • e.g. Alexander Fleming, Henry Moore

describe the significance of the crypt in new St Paul’s

• celebrates the British Empire by emphasising the military strength of Britain

• there is a lack of prominent female figures portrayed within the crypt

  • reflects cultural beliefs of patriarchy at the time

describe the American Memorial Chapel (and other chapels)

• located at the east end of the Cathedral behind the High Altar

  • this was the part of the Cathedral destroyed during the Blitz

• American Memorial Chapel commemorates 28,000 Americans stationed in the UK during WW2

• other chapels:

  • St Dunstan

  • St Erkenwald

  • Order of the British Empire

describe the high altar in new St Paul’s

• 1958 - high altar was built

  • made of marble and carved, gilded oak

• its Baroque-style baldacchino was based on a sketch by Christopher Wren

• it’s one of the most notable features in the Cathedral today

  • such a design would have been ‘popish’ back in the 18th century

• marble and altar screen of Thomas Garner (installed in 1888) reflected the Oxford Movement

  • reflected a wider religious shift from over Protestantism to Catholic-inspired

describe the Light of the World art in new St Paul’s

• deeply religious work of art created by Henry Holman Hunt

• it’s filled with complex Biblical references

• the painting suggests that light or salvation can be reached through Christ

• it has been described as a sermon in frame

describe the Mother and Child art installation in new St Paul’s

• created by Henry Moore

• could be seen as a devotional piece, reflecting the images of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus

• however, it could also be seen as a secular work of art, representing all mothers and children

  • demonstrates national changes in attitude from religious to secular-inclusive

describe Paternoster Square/Row

• Paternoster Row was used as the centre of London’s publishing trade before WW2

  • it was destroyed during aerial bombing in WW2

• in 2003, Paternoster Row was replaced with Paternoster Square, the modern home of the London Stock Exchange

describe the Remember Me memorial

• in May 2020, St Paul’s launched Remember Me, which was an online memorial to those who died as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK

• it is free to leave a tribute to a loved one and is open to all faiths or none

  • accessible to a wider audience

• it is situated in the Middlesex Chapel - it is free to visit it, juxtaposed with the main entrance fee of ~£25

• it is an inner portico with an elliptical timber structure

  • derives stylistic aspects from Christopher Wren

• designed by Caroe Architecture with Connolly Wellingham

describe the step-free entrance to new St Paul’s

• built at the North Transept

• most significant change to St Paul’s in 300 years (since Wren’s design)