Journal of Art Historiography (Dec 2014)
Through the stable door to Prince Albert? On Gottfried Semper’s London connections
Abstract
In the spring of 1849, when the Saxon revolt was defeated, the architect Gottfried Semper escaped from Dresden forfeiting his safe employment at the academy of arts. After a vain attempt to establish himself in France or another European country, he decided to emigrate to North America. Due to a strange accident, he changed his mind and went to London, the most vibrant town of Europe, in the autumn of 1850. He spent five exciting years there. From the first day, he tried to use his connections with more or less important persons for the purpose of professional success. Some of them inspired or enabled him to write and publish sharp-witted and clear-sighted texts. The present article deals with these relations.
