Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723)

This portrait of Sir Christopher Wren depicts the architect who rebuilt St Paul's Cathedral and fifty-one City of London churches after the Great Fire of 1666 — one of the greatest architectural achievements in English history. Wren was also Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford before turning to architecture, and his scientific formation gave his architectural work its characteristic mathematical precision. Kneller's portrait of this extraordinary polymath preserves one of the most important images in English cultural history — the man whose architectural vision defined London's skyline for three centuries and whose greatest work, St Paul's Cathedral, remains the symbol of the city.

Kneller presents the architect-scientist with intellectual authority and quiet confidence, the portrait capturing the measured temperament that enabled Wren to manage the enormous undertaking of rebuilding London over several decades.