Date

Circa 1910

St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. The church survived the Great Fire of London which did not reach as far as the City of Westminster, but was replaced with a new building, designed by James Gibbs in 1721 and completed five years later. The design was criticized widely at the time, but subsequently became extremely famous, being copied particularly widely in the United States. The church is essentially rectangular, with a great pediment in the Classical style supported by a row of huge Corinthian columns. The high steeple is topped with a gilt crown. Gibbs was certainly inspired by Sir Christopher Wren as the interior is very similar to St James's in Piccadilly. St Martin-in-the-Fields is a synthesis of Italian Baroque, the Antique and the Palladian.