Inigo Jones
Designer
British
Introduction
Inigo Jones was born July 15, 1573 in London. Little is recorded about Jones’s childhood, except that his father, also called Inigo, was a cloth worker. Apart from his travels to Italy, Jones lived his whole life in London, working for different members of the English Monarchy.
Although his work made a lasting influence on English theatre and architectural design, there are limited records of his personal life. Jones died June 21 1652, and is buried at the church of St Benet’s, Paul’s Wharf, London.
Key Dates & Events
- 1594 - Jones spends ten years living in Italy.
- 1605 - Jones is engaged to design his first masque by King Christian IV’s sister, Anne, who was the wife of King James I of England.
- 1610 - Jones is appointed as surveyor of works to Henry, Prince of Wales.
- 1613 - Jones returns to Italy to complete his education as an architect.
- 1615 - Jones becomes the King’s surveyor of works upon his death until the English Civil War in 1642 called an end to his career.
Context & Analysis
Education & Influences
Very little is known about whether Jones had any sort of formal education, although it is thought likely that he was apprenticed to a joiner. More importantly, it was Jones’s travels to Italy that gave him the biggest education. In the ten years he spent in Italy, between 1594 and 1604, Jones learned from both classical and contemporary Italian
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Wendy Silvester
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