Pugin, Augustus Charles [key], 1762–1832, English writer on medieval architecture, b. France. His writings and drawings furnished a mass of working material for the architects of the Gothic revival. Among them is Specimens of Gothic Architecture (2 vol., 1821–23). In some of his publications he was assisted by his son, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, 1812–52, English architect and writer, noted for his prominent role in the Gothic revival. Although he erected numerous buildings, including churches, monasteries, and convents, his writings exerted greater influence than his architecture, and his works Contrasts (1836) and The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture (1841) might be termed the textbooks of the Gothic revival. His other publications include Gothic Furniture in the Style of the 15th Century (1835) and Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament and Costume (1844). He worked under Sir Charles Barry on the Houses of Parliament, chiefly in the execution of fittings and ornamental details. The cathedral in St. George's Fields, London, is an example of his executed work, which included over 65 churches.
See studies by M. Trappes-Lomax (1933) and P. Stanton (1972); study of W. W. N. Pugin by R. Hill (2009).
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