Study for The Magdalen Chapel, from Microcosm of London

Art Historical Context

This graphite study by Augustus Charles Pugin, dated around 1809, served as a preparatory drawing for an illustration in the influential publication *Microcosm of London*. Measuring just under 8 by 10 inches on ivory wove paper, the work reflects Pugin’s role as a leading architectural draftsman of the early nineteenth century. His drawings helped document London’s public and religious spaces for a growing audience eager to see the city’s landmarks rendered with clarity and precision. As a study rather than a finished print, the piece reveals the careful planning behind the book’s aquatint plates. Pugin’s fine graphite lines capture architectural details and spatial relationships that would later be translated into published images, often with figures added by collaborators. Such preparatory works highlight the collaborative nature of early nineteenth-century printmaking and the technical skill required to convey both structure and atmosphere. Today housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings department, this modest sheet offers visitors an intimate look at how artists recorded urban life during a period of rapid change in London. Its quiet precision invites viewers to appreciate the foundational role of drawing in shaping the visual record of a city.

About the Artist

Augustus Charles Pugin · 1762–1832

Augustus Charles Pugin (1762–1832) was a pioneering architectural draughtsman and engraver whose meticulous illustrations played a pivotal role in reviving interest in Britain's medieval Gothic heritage. Born in France, Pugin relocated to London around 1792, where he quickly established himself as a master of topographical and architectural rendering. Working primarily in engraving and watercolor,...