How Did Inigo Jones Influence Architecture

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Inigo Jones was an Architect unlike any other in his time. He was the first English classic Architect in England under the ruling of James I and Charles I. He introduced the architecture of Ancient Rome to England in 1573-1652, which encompassed many characteristics, but mainly he introduced the idea of Vitruvius symmetry. Many historians and architects claim Inigo Jones as the father of Palladianism because of the influence his architecture had on Palladio in the later years. Unlike other architects at his time, Inigo Jones was a self-taught son of a Smithfield cloth maker. He had none of the advantages of birth, influence, and education possessed by his successors. Although he may not have had the same knowledge and possessions as other …show more content…

During the 16th century England was living through many social, religious, and political changes. The country was in need of change and Inigo Jones revolutionized English architecture by introducing French and Italian classicism through his first building of the Queen’s house in Greenwich. His work portrayed symmetry and elements of classicism, which captured the attention of many. Within his lifetime, he visited Italy twice. The first time he traveled to Italy was in the late 16th century while the second time he traveled was in the early 17th century. Inigo Jones’ second visit to Italy he had plenty of liberty to practice Italian art and architecture. He used Palladio’s treatise, Quattro libri dell’architettura, visiting as many as possible of the buildings illustrated in it and conning them over, line by line, against Palladio’s woodcuts. Palladio had great importance to him and he greatly inspired many of his work. Although Palladio’s work was what Jones studied and implemented in his work what interested Jones was the antique and all that Vitruvius had to say about architecture. Jones second visit to Italy was what established him as an architect. He merely brought a minor idea of Italian classicism and cultivated it into his own image of