William Burges (1827–81) was an English architect and designer, and one of the greatest of the Victorian art-architects. He sought in his work to escape from 19th-century industrialisation and the Neoclassical architectural style and to re-establish the architectural and social values of a utopian medieval England. He stands within the Gothic Revival tradition, his works echoing the Pre-Raphaelites and heralding the Arts and Crafts movement. His first major commission was Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork, in 1863. Burges's most notable works are Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch, both for John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute. Other buildings include Gayhurst House, Knightshayes Court, and St Mary's, Studley Royal. Many of his designs were never executed or were subsequently demolished, and his plans for the redecoration of the interior of St Paul's Cathedral were abandoned. He also designed metalwork, sculpture, jewellery, furniture and stained glass. Art Applied to Industry, a series of lectures he gave to the Society of Arts in 1864, illustrates the breadth of his interests. The revival of interest in Victorian art has led to a renewed appreciation of Burges and his work.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Burges
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1823:
U.S. President James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine, a proclamation of opposition to European colonialism in the New World. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine
1852:
On the one-year anniversary of his dissolution of the Second French Republic, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte declared himself Emperor of the French and took the name Napoleon III. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_III
1943:
World War II: The Luftwaffe conducted a surprise air raid on Allied ships in Bari, Italy, sinking 18 ships and releasing one ship's secret cargo of mustard gas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_raid_on_Bari
1975:
The Pathet Lao overthrew the royalist government in Vientiane, forcing King Savang Vatthana to abdicate, and established the Lao People's Democratic Republic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laos
1988:
Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first woman to head the government of an Islam-dominated state. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
bowk: 1. (Geordie) To belch, to burp. 2. (UK) To vomit. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bowk
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
We're just a conceited naked ape, but in our minds we're some "divine legend" and we see ourselves as some sort of god, seeing we can decide what will live and what will die, what will be saved and what will be destroyed, but honestly we're just a bunch of primates out of control. --Paul Watson https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paul_Watson