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Benjamin Woodward

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212:. They, along with London sculptors, carved the abundant decorative stonework at Trinity, showing owls, lizards, cats and monkeys, as well as other flora and fauna. Later the O'Sheas carved stonework at the Kildare Street Club, including the famous window piece showing the club members as monkeys playing billiards. Woodward shared Ruskin’s ideal of wanting the Oxford Museum to mark a return to the Gothic tradition of enriching the structural forms with naturalistic symbolism – drawing inspiration from real plants and animals.  To realise this he was willing to let his craftsmen improvise their own solutions to problems, just as mediaeval stonemasons apparently did.  Despite suffering from the tuberculosis that was to kill him in 1861, Woodward quickly became a charismatic presence in Oxford, as W. Tuckwell recalled: ‘Then into our midst came Woodward … a man of rare genius and deep artistic knowledge, beautiful in face and character, but with the shadow of an early death already stealing over him.’  Among his admirers were Gabriel Rossetti, Burne-Jones, and William Morris and while in Oxford he was also commissioned to design the new Oxford Union building – upon which the Pre-Raphaelites were to become famously involved in painting the frescoes.  Woodward brought with him from Ireland a team of carvers and stone masons, who lived in a temporary camp erected at the site – which included an institute, complete with reading room and lecture hall.  It was here that Ruskin addressed the workmen in April 1856, setting out his theories of Gothic architecture and the creative role of the ordinary craftsmen in making it a reality.  This ideal of the artist-craftsman found its realisation in the O'Shea brothers. Ruskin was (at first) highly charmed by the ebullient and talented O’Sheas, and their naturalistic approach to carving capitals and windows chimed perfectly with Ruskin’s mediaeval vision.  Tuckwell describes how ‘every morning came the handsome red-bearded Irish brothers Shea, bearing plants from the Botanic Garden, to reappear under their chisels in the rough-hewn capitals of the pillars.’ 220: 163: 29: 88: 159:
and became a partner in 1851 along with Deane's son, Thomas Newenham Deane. It seems that Deane looked after business matters, and left the design work to Woodward.
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The work of Deane and Woodward is characterised by naturalistic decoration with foliage and animals carved into capitals and
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in particular when he visited the Museum at Trinity College, Dublin. Woodward collaborated in particular with the
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Rev. W. Tuckwell, Reminiscences of Oxford (1901), p. 48. Tuckwell, Reminiscences, p. 49.
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Woodward's two most important buildings are the Museum at
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in Dublin (1858-1861) and Queen's College Cork, now
208:. James and John O'Shea were stone carvers from 223:Queen's College Cork, now University College Cork 185:, (1854-1860). He was also responsible for the 200:around windows and doors. It was extolled by 8: 179:Oxford University Museum of Natural History 92:Oxford University Museum of Natural History 155:The same year he joined the office of Sir 73:Learn how and when to remove this message 144:. These drawings were exhibited at the 101:(16 November 1816 – 15 May 1861) was an 36:This article includes a list of general 243: 233: 18:Benjamin Woodward (New York politician) 290:The Architecture of Deane and Woodward 7: 346:People from Tullamore, County Offaly 166:The billiard-playing monkeys in the 112:, designed a number of buildings in 42:it lacks sufficient corresponding 14: 16:For the New York politician, see 277:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 273:Dictionary of National Biography 27: 311:Dictionary of Irish Architects 1: 351:Architects from County Offaly 336:19th-century Irish architects 108:who, in partnership with Sir 367: 263:"Woodward, Benjamin"  260:Dodgson, Campbell (1901). 15: 341:Gothic Revival architects 191:University College Cork 175:Trinity College, Dublin 57:more precise citations. 224: 170: 95: 222: 165: 128:Woodward was born in 110:Thomas Newenham Deane 90: 177:(1854-1857) and the 288:Frederick O'Dwyer, 187:Kildare Street Club 168:Kildare Street Club 225: 171: 96: 99:Benjamin Woodward 94:, built 1854-1860 83: 82: 75: 358: 278: 275:(1st supplement) 265: 247: 241: 142:County Tipperary 78: 71: 67: 64: 58: 53:this article by 44:inline citations 31: 30: 23: 366: 365: 361: 360: 359: 357: 356: 355: 316: 315: 307: 285: 283:Further reading 259: 256: 251: 250: 242: 235: 230: 214: 206:O'Shea brothers 193:, (1845-1849). 126: 79: 68: 62: 59: 49:Please help to 48: 32: 28: 21: 12: 11: 5: 364: 362: 354: 353: 348: 343: 338: 333: 328: 318: 317: 314: 313: 306: 305:External links 303: 302: 301: 292:, Cork, 1997 ( 284: 281: 280: 279: 255: 252: 249: 248: 232: 231: 229: 226: 125: 122: 81: 80: 35: 33: 26: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 363: 352: 349: 347: 344: 342: 339: 337: 334: 332: 329: 327: 324: 323: 321: 312: 309: 308: 304: 299: 298:0-902561-85-5 295: 291: 287: 286: 282: 276: 274: 269: 264: 258: 257: 253: 245: 240: 238: 234: 227: 221: 217: 213: 211: 207: 203: 199: 194: 192: 188: 184: 180: 176: 169: 164: 160: 158: 153: 151: 147: 143: 139: 135: 134:County Offaly 131: 123: 121: 119: 115: 111: 107: 104: 100: 93: 89: 85: 77: 74: 66: 56: 52: 46: 45: 39: 34: 25: 24: 19: 289: 271: 244:Dodgson 1901 215: 195: 172: 157:Thomas Deane 154: 127: 120:and Oxford. 98: 97: 84: 69: 60: 41: 331:1861 deaths 326:1816 births 268:Lee, Sidney 210:County Cork 202:John Ruskin 55:introducing 320:Categories 254:References 38:references 152:in 1846. 130:Tullamore 106:architect 63:June 2020 270:(ed.). 198:plinths 138:Ireland 51:improve 296:  183:Oxford 150:London 114:Dublin 40:, but 266:. In 228:Notes 103:Irish 294:ISBN 146:RIBA 124:Life 118:Cork 148:in 322:: 236:^ 181:, 136:, 132:, 116:, 300:) 246:. 76:) 70:( 65:) 61:( 47:. 20:.

Index

Benjamin Woodward (New York politician)
references
inline citations
improve
introducing
Learn how and when to remove this message

Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Irish
architect
Thomas Newenham Deane
Dublin
Cork
Tullamore
County Offaly
Ireland
County Tipperary
RIBA
London
Thomas Deane

Kildare Street Club
Trinity College, Dublin
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Oxford
Kildare Street Club
University College Cork
plinths
John Ruskin
O'Shea brothers

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