Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1902-1983

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German-born art and architectural historian, editor and professor, Nikolaus Pevsner was a scholar of European architecture, 19th and 20th century design, Italian Baroque painting and German sculpture. He worked with the Dresden Gallery from 1924 to 1928 and taught at Göttingen before emigrating to England in 1933. He subsequently taught at Birkbeck College and the Courtauld Institute, and lectured as Slade Professor of Art at Cambridge and Oxford. He was a member of the editorial board of the Architectural Review.

From the description of Nikolaus Pevsner miscellaneous papers, 1957-1979. (Getty Research Institute). WorldCat record id: 80271700

Art and architectural historian, editor and professor. He worked with the Dresden Gallery from 1924 to 1928 and taught at Gottingen before immigrating to England in 1933. He subsequently taught at Birkbeck College and the Courtauld Institute, and lectured as Slade Professor of Art at Cambridge and Oxford. He was a member of the editorial board of the Architectural Review. Pevsner, who wrote in English, was a scholar of European architecture, 19th and 20th century design, Italian Baroque painting and German sculpture.

From the description of Nikolaus Pevsner papers, 1919-1979. (Getty Research Institute). WorldCat record id: 83862123

Biographical/Historical Note

Art and architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner was born in Germany in 1902. He worked with the Dresden Gallery (1924-1928) and taught at Göttingen University (1929-1933) before emigrating to England in 1933. In England Pevsner taught at Birkbeck College (University of London) and the Courtauld Institute, and lectured as the Slade Professor of Art at Cambridge (1949-1955) and Oxford (1969) Universities.

Pevsner was a scholar of Italian baroque painting, German sculpture and 19th- and 20th-century architecture of England and Europe. It is as an architectural historian that he is best remembered, partly because he was quite prolific, and also because of his strong point of view. His polemical view is evident in his early book, Pioneers of Modern Design (1936), in which he first tried to persuade England to accept the Modern movement. He remained a persistent advocate for modern design and for historical preservation.

Among Pevsner's many publications are the following books: An Outline of European architecture, A History of Building Types, and the monumental Buildings of England in 46 volumes, of which 35 were researched and written by Pevsner. He was an editor of the influential journal Architectural Review and edited the Pelican History of Art series, which comprised 48 volumes. He received the Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1967 and a knighthood in 1969. Pevsner died in 1983.

From the guide to the Nikolaus Pevsner miscellaneous papers, 1957-1979, (The Getty Research Institute Special Collections 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100 Los Angeles, California, 90049-1688 (310) 440-7390)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn The Percy Johnson-Marshall Collection, 1931-1993 Edinburgh University Library
creatorOf Glaeser, Ludwig. Mies van der Rohe : research papers, 1968-1980. Centre canadien d'architecture, | Canadian Centre for Architecture | CCA
creatorOf Mendelsohn, Erich, 1887-1953. Erich and Luise Mendelsohn papers, 1894-1992. Getty Research Institute
creatorOf Hamlin, Talbot, 1889-1956. Talbot Faulkner Hamlin papers and architectural records, 1880-1959 (bulk 1916-1955). Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Sir Nikolaus Pevsner : vertical file. Centre canadien d'architecture, | Canadian Centre for Architecture | CCA
referencedIn Penguin Collection, 1935-present University of Bristol Information Services - Special Collections
creatorOf Nikolaus Pevsner miscellaneous papers, 1957-1979 Getty Research Institute
referencedIn Henry-Russell Hitchcock papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1902-1983. Nikolaus Pevsner papers, 1919-1979. Getty Research Institute
creatorOf Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1902-1983. Nikolaus Pevsner miscellaneous papers, 1957-1979. Getty Research Institute
creatorOf Henry-Russell Hitchcock papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Brendel, Otto, 1901-1973. Miscellaneous papers, 1929-1980 (bulk 1930-1960). Getty Research Institute
referencedIn Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars. Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars records. 1927-1949. New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Donald and Katharine Foley Collection of Penguin Books, post 1965 Bancroft Library
creatorOf Frankl, Paul, 1878-1962. Paul Frankl papers, 1900-1974. Princeton University Library
referencedIn Coolidge, John, 1913-1995. Papers of John Coolidge and Agnes Mongan, 1909-2006. Harvard University Art Museum
creatorOf Herrmann, Wolfgang, 1899-1995. Wolfgang Herrmann papers, 1924-1991. Getty Research Institute
referencedIn Walter Gropius papers in the Bauhaus-Archiv, ca. 1919-1937. Houghton Library
referencedIn Papers of John Coolidge and Agnes Mongan, 1909-2006 Harvard Art Museums. Archives
referencedIn Papers of John Coolidge and Agnes Mongan, 1909-2006 Harvard Art Museums. Archives
referencedIn Talbot Faulkner Hamlin papers and architectural records, 1880-1959, (bulk 1916-1955) Columbia University. Avery Architecture and Fine Arts Library. Department of Drawings and Archives.
referencedIn Donald and Katharine Foley Collection of Penguin Books, 1935-1965 Bancroft Library
creatorOf O'Neal, William B. (William Bainter). Papers of William B. O'Neal [manuscript], ca. 1961-1990. University of Virginia. Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith 0Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1902-1983. person
associatedWith Ashbee, C. R. (Charles Robert), 1863-1942. person
associatedWith Brendel, Otto, 1901-1973. person
associatedWith Coolidge, John, 1913-1995. person
associatedWith Courtauld Institute of Art. corporateBody
associatedWith Ebhardt, Bodo, b. 1865. person
associatedWith Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars corporateBody
associatedWith Foley, Donald L. person
associatedWith Foley, Katharine person
associatedWith Foley, Katharine person
associatedWith Frankl, Paul, 1878-1962. person
associatedWith Gemäldegalerie (Dresden, Germany) corporateBody
associatedWith Glaeser, Ludwig. person
associatedWith Great Britain. Royal Fine Art Commission. corporateBody
associatedWith Gropius, Walter, 1883-1969. person
associatedWith Hamlin, Talbot, 1889-1956. person
associatedWith Herrmann, Wolfgang, 1899-1995. person
associatedWith Hitchcock, Henry Russell, 1903- person
associatedWith Jerusalem Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Johnson-Marshall | Percy | 1915-1993 | professor of urban design and regional planning, University of Edinburgh person
associatedWith Mackmurdo, A. H. (Arthur Heygate), 1851-1942. person
associatedWith Mendelsohn, Erich, 1887-1953. person
associatedWith Omega Workshops. corporateBody
associatedWith O'Neal, William B. (William Bainter) person
associatedWith Penguin Books, Ltd. corporateBody
associatedWith Pinder, Wilhelm, 1878-1947. person
associatedWith Posener, Julius. person
associatedWith Russell, Gordon, Sir, 1892-1980 person
associatedWith University of London. corporateBody
associatedWith Voysey, Charles F. A., 1857-1941. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Italy
Great Britain
Great Britain
Subject
Architectural historians
Architecture
Architecture
Architecture, Modern
Art historians
Art historians
Design
Painting, Baroque
Sculpture, German
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1902-01-30

Death 1983-08-18

Britons

English

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