Robert Morris | |
|---|---|
 Illustration fromLectures on Architecture, 1759 | |
| Born | (1703-02-00)February 1703 Twickenham, England |
| Died | 12 November 1754(1754-11-12) (aged 51) London, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Contributions to thePalladian revival; early advocacy ofvegetarianism andanimal rights |
| Notable work |
|
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Roger Morris |
Robert Morris (February 1703 – 12 November 1754) was an English writer,architectural theorist, and surveyor. Active during the first half of the eighteenth century, he is best known for his contributions to thePalladian revival through a series of influential treatises andpattern books, includingLectures on Architecture (1734–1736),Rural Architecture (1750), andThe Architectural Remembrancer (1751). His published designs helped popularise classical architectural principles in Britain andcolonial America, where his influence can be traced in several prominent buildings, particularly inVirginia. Although few executed works can be confidently attributed to him, he was involved in both design and surveying for various projects, including work atInveraray Castle,Richmond Park, andCulverthorpe Hall.
In addition to his architectural writings, Morris anonymously published philosophical and satirical tracts, and was an early advocate ofvegetarianism andanimal rights. His 1746 essayA Reasonable Plea for the Animal Creation argued for the moral consideration of animals and has been recognised as a significant early text in the history ofanimal ethics.
Robert Morris was born in February 1703 inTwickenham, the son of Thomas Morris, a joiner.[1]
Morris received his architectural education while working under his kinsman,Roger Morris, who held the post of "carpenter and principal engineer to theBoard of Ordnance" and died on 31 January 1749.[2]
Moore first came to public attention with the publication ofAn Essay in Defence of Ancient Architecture (1728), in which he contrasted modern baroque buildings—such as those in Twickenham, where he was then living—with classical models, particularly as interpreted byAndrea Palladio. While he expressed admiration for architects includingChristopher Wren andJames Gibbs, he criticised many of his contemporaries as being "lost in a Circle of Follies", though he acknowledged notable exceptions such asLord Burlington,Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke, andSir Andrew Fountaine.[1]
His most significant theoretical contribution was the two-volumeLectures on Architecture (1734–1736), a series of fourteen lectures presented to a now-untraced "Society established for the Improvement of Arts and Sciences". In this work, he argued that a building's design should respond to its setting—for example, that a flat, open landscape suited the simplicity of the Doric order—and introduced a modular system of seven ideal geometric proportions, analogous to musical notes.[1] These ideas were further developed in two anonymously published works:An Essay on Harmony (1739) andThe Art of Architecture, a Poem (1742). Although his writings attracted limited attention in his own time, and volume one of theLectures was not reissued until 1759, they are now regarded as among the most substantial architectural theories published in Britain during the eighteenth century.[1]
Morris also produced two pattern books:Rural Architecture (1750) andThe Architectural Remembrancer (1751), in which he advocated for what he described as the "purity and simplicity of the art of designing". Both works were reissued in 1755 under new titles byRobert Sayer, and again in 1757 with additional unused designs originally created forThe Modern Builder's Assistant.[1]
Professionally, Morris worked as a surveyor. His commissions included overseeing work atCulverthorpe Hall, Lincolnshire, for Sir Michael Newton in the early 1730s; assessing a model of theMansion House, London for the City of London in 1740; surveying brickwork for the banker George Middleton in Twickenham in 1743; and measuring plasterwork atSir William Beauchamp Proctor's house in Bruton Street, London, in 1753 or 1754. He also produced unexecuted designs for theOctagon Chapel in Norwich (1753–1754), and may have drawn plans for the south front of Culverthorpe Hall, although these are more confidently attributed to Roger Morris.[1]
The earliest executed work attributed to Robert Morris is the Gothic-styleInveraray Castle, begun in 1745 and completed in 1761. Roger Morris is thought to have contributed to the initial design, with Robert supervising construction after his death. The central tower was destroyed by fire in 1877 and rebuilt in 1880. Robert Morris also collaborated with S. Wright on the central portion of the lodge inRichmond Park forGeorge II, although the design has also been attributed toHenry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke.[2]
Around 1750, Morris remodelled a house at Hammersmith forG. Bubb Dodington, later known asBrandenburgh House, which was demolished in 1822. He was also responsible for the construction of Coomb Bank in Kent andWimbledon House in Surrey, likely in collaboration with Lord Burlington. Wimbledon House was destroyed by fire in 1785; its ancillary buildings were used as a residence until a new house byHenry Holland was completed in 1801. Around the same period, Morris and Burlington also designedKirby Hall in Yorkshire, with interior work carried out byJohn Carr of York. The plans were reportedly based on ideas provided by the owner, S. Thompson. In 1736, Morris also constructed aPalladian-style bridge atWilton House in Wiltshire.[2]
In addition to his architectural output, Morris anonymously authored several literary and professional works, includingAn Enquiry into Virtue (1740),Yes, They Are (1740),Have at You All (1740), andRupert to Maria: An Heroic Epistle (1748). He may also have written the political playFatal Necessity; or Liberty Regain'd (1742, Dublin), as well as two pamphlets for surveyors in 1752:The Qualifications and Duty of a Surveyor and aSecond Letter on the same subject.[1]
Morris was an early advocate ofanimal rights andvegetarianism. He authored the essayA Reasonable Plea for the Animal Creation (1746).Carol J. Adams considers it a valuable addition to vegetarian history.[3] In 2005, the academic journalOrganization & Environment re-published the essay.[4]
By 1740, Morris was residing onHyde Park Street, nearGrosvenor Square in London, and remained there until at least 1751. He died on 12 November 1754. His will instructed that his books and drawings be sold to support his children: Thomas, Mary, James, and Hannah.[1]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Porter, Bertha (1894). "Morris, Robert". InLee, Sidney (ed.).Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co. This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Porter, Bertha (1894). "Morris, Robert". InLee, Sidney (ed.).Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
Media related toRobert Morris (writer) at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related toRobert Morris at Wikiquote| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
