Saint Clement Danes' Spire

Perhaps the best expression of English Baroque lies in the many elegant spires built for London churches to replace those destroyed in the Great fire. Wren was the originator of the style, but his assistants took up the theme. Among them was James Gibbs (1682-1754) who set this crowning portion to Wren's earlier church tower. James Gibbs studied architecture under Carlo Fontana, who had been a pupil of Bernini and after his return to England in 1709, began work as one of Queen Anne's surveyors for the city churches under Wren's direction.