Discerning wisdom: works of art and the creation

Creator of heaven and earth 4
Discerning wisdom: works of art and the creation

One of my memories of my time as an undergraduate at Wadham College, Oxford, is admiring the portrait of Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723) that adorned the panelled walls of the college’s dining hall. It was a particularly fine work of art and I often found myself gazing at it at mealtimes. Wren was a student at Wadham College before going on to achieve considerable renown as an architect. In 1666 the Great Fire of London badly damaged the original St Paul’s Cathedral, and a decision was taken to commission a new building. Wren’s fame ensured he was selected as the designer, and the current St Paul’s, completed in 1710, remains one of London’s most famous landmarks...