Study for Bridewell Prison, Women's Side, from Microcosm of London
c. 1808
Medium
Graphite on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
21 × 26.1 cm (8 5/16 × 10 5/16 in.)
Classification
graphite
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
113128
Art Historical Context
Augustus Charles Pugin's *Study for Bridewell Prison Women's Side, from Micro of London* (c. 1808) offers a poignant glimpse into early 19th-century London life. Created as a preparatory drawing for Rudolph Ackermann's celebrated publication *Microcosm of London*1808–10), this graphite sketch on ivory wove paper captures the stark interior of Bridewell Prison's women's ward. Pugin, a master of architectural draughtsmanship known for his precise, topographical style, meticulously rendered the prison's utilitarian architecture—high barred windows, rows of beds, and sparse furnishings—to evoke th...
About the Artist
Augustus Charles Pugin · 1762–1832
Augustus Charles Pugin (1762–1832) was a pioneering architectural draughtsman and engraver whose meticulous illustrations played a pivotal role in reviving interest in Britain's medieval Gothic heritage. Born in France, Pugin relocated to London around 1792, where he quickly established himself as a master of topographical and architectural rendering. Working primarily in engraving and watercolor,...